#gajeel redfox fanfiction | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kiliinstinct · 2 months

Text

Chapter 28:

Rating: R Pairing: Nalu FF.Net || AO3 [Ch: 1] ||| [Prev] | [Next] Thanks to @phoenix-before-the-flame for their awesome Beta work, as usual. March Post Dates: 15th and the 28th (Yes, my Birthday!) April Post Dates: To Be Decided

When Gajeel was finally questioned, it was days after he'd willingly been led through the gates and brought into the dungeons. His cooperation led to an easy time of sitting around in proper chairs and choosing his own cot to bunk in, all while Kage sulked in his renewed prison. The shackles that scraped his wrists and ankles were a formality more than anything else; One he seemed unbothered by.

His interrogation wasn’t in the official chambers where Makarov sought counsel with Erza, Laxus and Mirajane days before. Instead, when Laxus came to retrieve him, eyes narrowed and posture full of unspoken threats, he'd been led to a small room in the depths of the keep, where the draconis assumed was their chief’s private quarters.

While this was a curious turn of events for him, what made his studded brows rise was when Laxus irritably slammed the door behind him, leaving Gajeel alone with the short chieftain and no one else. The room was cramped, too small to host many occupants regardless, but he didn't even hear the click of the door lock.

“Have a seat.” Makarov drawled, mustache twitching as he glanced his way. He was seated behind a grand red oak desk that filled nearly half the room. Tomes in messy piles and stacked parchments littered its surface, with odd knick knacks and baubles that didn’t quite fit thrown into the mix. He casually motioned to one other seat that Gajeel had almost missed. And rightly so, it was nothing more than the tiniest of stools, splintered beyond belief and standing on rickety legs despite the ashy burn marks that littered its surface: a stool made for a child.

“Yeah, no. Not sittin’ on that,” Gajeel replied dryly, leaning against the doorframe instead, “you sure about having me in a room alone with you, old man?”

“Why?” Makarov lowered his hand, confidence gleaming in his eyes, “Do you think you pose a danger to me?“

He shrugged, “Dunno, do I?” Lifting his shackled hands he bared his teeth in a sardonic grin, “or these give ya a sense of security?“

The old man's chuckle as he relaxed into his chair made Gajeel frown. Was he missing something here?

”I didn’t take you as a man to make jokes. If you were going to attempt anything, I think you would have already. A man of your strength could break those shackles in minutes.“

'Not even that.' He thought idly, but brushed the words aside as more thoughts gripped him, ”What would you know of my strength?“

”Boy,“ There was a near irresistible urge to snarl that Gajeel swallowed in the back of his throat, body bristling in offense, ”I've three clansmen all with the blood of Draconis in them. Surely you know that they scented you the moment you came near our walls?“

A chink in Gajeel's facade was finally made. His grin faltered with his confidence. Of course, he didn't doubt they'd catch a whiff of him if he'd smelled them, but to have passed that information along already? They were quick. The element of surprise was now lost, and that disturbed him more than he wanted to admit.

”That ruins my fun,“ He snorted, arms crossing in disdain, the shackles clacked together.

Another soft chuckle left Makarov as he propped his short legs on the edge of his desk, managing to look more indifferent than the large draconis had been. “I’ve been informed of your attunement. Metal I believe? Erza’s report of your camp was quite thorough.“

His eye twitched before he could control himself: another chink added.

”So I was right.“ He whistled, watching Gajeel with a keen eye that felt as if it were seeing straight through his mind. “A fascinating element to wield no doubt.”

When speaking with Jose, their banter always felt like a dance around threats and subtle digs of information towards one another. As if the other clan leader was always looking for a way in to sniff out Gajeel's weaknesses, but he never learned any more than what Gajeel chose to reveal.

In a span of a minute, here in this dinky room standing before a geriatric who hardly came up to his thigh, Gajeel felt uncharacteristically small. He didn’t like the clever glint in the old man’s eye or how he steepled his fingers. He didn’t like how he managed to learn what even his own clansmen didn’t know. This was a sensation that made bile rise in his throat, shame fueling the tension in his shoulders as hurt pride demanded he act out.

But he had more discipline then that and stayed still while his sharpened nails dug divots into his biceps.

“Do you fairies always spoil the fun like this?” The question was pointed and petulant, but Gajeel felt he deserved the momentary childish barb.

”Oh we have our own ways to have fun, I guarantee you.“ The old chief finally settled down into his seat, dropping the casual attitude as one drops a burning coal, ”Now, with that out of the way, do you want to remove those shackles or keep pretending you can't? I think we both know you wouldn't get very far if you attacked me anyway.“

That confidence was one thing shared between Makarov and Jose, Gajeel noted. A grim knowledge of one's own abilities. It was an asinine trait, but having the wind torn from his sails so soon into the conversation had left the draconis feeling out of sorts as he dragged his feet to finally sit down.

A part of him was more than satisfied when he heard the legs crack under his weight, struggling to stay intact. If he couldn't keep his abilities a secret longer than a day, fine. At least he had this.

”Fine. You got me.“ He growled, not bothering to hide his irritation. ”But we're not here to discuss what I can do, are we? You got questions and I got the answers you need.“

”Now we're to the meat of the matter, very good,“ Makarov entwined his fingers under his chin and hummed in agreement, watching as Gajeel fiddled with the shackles but made no attempt to rip them off. He'd save that for later.

“Since you've made it obvious you come from Jose's clan,” The old man continued, voice dripping with acid at the name of the other leader, “Clearly you have a reason for giving us Kage without any demands for compensation. Before I ask you anything more pertinent, let me make one thing clear: Kage's return does not give you access to the Celestial your leader has been after and she's no bargaining chip. Are we clear?”

Gajeel snorted, his grin finally returning, “Crystal. She’s of no use to me anyway.”

And now, it finally felt as if he'd regained his foothold as he watched Makarov's stern expression drop. He decided to run with it, continuing before he could start his line of questions. Gajeel leaned forward, ignoring how the stool creaked as he propped his elbows on his knees.

“I’ll let you in on a secret. Jose thinks he sent me here to get on your good side, learn your towns in and outs and buddy up with you all before dragging the girl out by those golden locks he’s so obsessed with. That was the mission assigned to me,” The more he spoke, the more Makarov's expression changed, hardening into a silent, dangerous rage that fueled Gajeel's amusement.

“He still thinks that, and while I was down for playing along for a bit, there's no point in that now.”

“... and why is that?”

Gajeel's laugh dripped something close to madness, “Let me see your other Draconis members and I might tell ya.”

In the restless hours between Porlyusica begrudgingly giving Natsu the go ahead for freedom and the strange draconis being led through the gates, the Draconis of Fire was not sitting still. In fact, just outside the doors of the keep, he paced, snarling and spitting fiery fury each time he was dragged back to his quarters by those who watched him.

His fellow villagers were glad to see him on his feet. But still, they couldn’t help but wish that the old hermit had ordered him more time in his home. If only to give his frazzled keepers a break now that he was set loose. Keeping him confined to his home was infinitely easier than dragging him back to it after a long walk that always led to the keep; No matter how many times they'd convince Natsu to try a different path, to entice him elsewhere, he found one way or another to lead them back to his planned destination.

It was this constant back and forth and his demands to be let in that Makarov had found him before his meeting with Gajeel. In fact, he'd gone out specifically to settle the fiery man down, who refused to be calm and listen to reason. Having the opportunity to tell his chief the truth about the newcomer had eased him minutely, but he continued to stay close, refusing all attempts to bring him home.

“You need to eat-” Max had attempted to lure him with the promise of a meal and he looked exhausted from the conversation, ”Seriously, Mirajane promised to cook a different kind of soup this time so-“

”Can eat it here.“ Natsu cackled, ignoring the hard stare of Wendy who'd come along. She was adamant to stay by his side ensuring he wouldn’t push himself too hard. He was talking more than he should, he knew, but the parchment Lucy had left behind was long consumed by his own flames and he hadn't the patience to bring anything similar with him.

”Seriously, Wendy. He’s being difficult. Maybe I should swap with Lucy-”

Natsu's ferocious snarl ripped from him without thought, startling the other roma to silence. He muttered a quiet apology a moment later. The mere thought of Lucy being anywhere near the keep was too much. He wouldn't allow it. Considering Kage's attempts to kidnap her and the possible ties this new draconis had to Jose’s clan, Natsu would rather open his wounds than have her near

But he didn't bother saying this outloud, his feral snarls and disturbed pacing was enough to get the point across.

”... Natsu,“ Wendy mumbled, trying to placate him, ”Makarov already knows. No one's going to let Lucy get hurt, you know this. Please calm down.“

Her tired, meek tone was almost enough to mollify him, deflating at the look of her. She'd sat upon a nearby stump, fingers digging into the bark with claws she couldn't contain any longer. Their instincts were in sync with the arrival of a new draconis to their chosen flock and the knowledge he wasn't alone was sobering.

But he dug his heels into the dirt and shook his head, ”fine, but I ain't leaving.“

She sighed, looking at Natsu's current charge in sympathy. ”Maybe you should go get your replacement. You look like you could use some rest.“

”And leave him alone to bust the door down?“ The man asked, cringing at the thought, ”No offense to you Wendy, but I don’t think you can hold him down if he starts getting bright ideas.”

She pointed to her nose, sniffing the air as her eyes gleamed, Natsu caught the motion and immediately knew she had caught something in the air he'd missed, ”It's alright, he'll stay put.“

”Pfft, yeah right. Like I won’t-“ He began, following her action to taste the air. The wind had changed direction, something she would have sensed first before him and with that came the familiar scents of not just Erza, but the one person he hadn't wanted near at all, his statement changed in an instant, snarl returning through sharp teeth, ”Why is Erza bringing Lucy here?!”

Max stiffened with his eyes going wide as he began backing down the path. “You know what? Good idea, Wendy, I really SHOULD go. Have fun with that.“

It was almost comical how fast he booked it down the gravel path, shouting for Freed at the top of his lungs. At least it wasn't Warren, Natsu thought, that man's telepathy was irritating on a good day. He would hate having his every thought broadcasted.

But with the knowledge of Erza and Freed both coming his way, the Draconis knew he'd have little time to act and wasn't about to put Wendy in a rough spot in the scant minutes he had. A conundrum that left him grumbling in annoyed dissatisfaction.

”... do you really want Lucy to see you like this?“ Wendy asked under her breath eyeing him closely. The remark felt pointed, but the reason behind it was unknown to him.

”... What, mad? She's seen me mad before. Ain’t like this is new,“ He stated, letting her question distract him from the agitation still boiling under his skin, ”What's your point?“

”Well, uhm,“ She fumbled with the hem of her shirt, brows knitted together as she considered her next words, “since you two are together now, I thought you'd want to put your best foot forward. That's all.“

The restless anger that had him pacing disappeared with the wind, leaving him rooted on the spot. Confusion made him stare at with comically wide eyes as heat burst to his cheeks. His face felt far hotter than it should have as he spluttered, voice a blank monotone, ”Since we're what?“

His empty stare must have spoken more than his mouth as Wendy turned a violent red. Tearing her gaze away, she wrung her hands nervously as she tripped over her words, “Oh- are you not? I just could have sworn you-“ She cut herself off again, switching sentences on a dime, ”Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I completely- I thought-!“

An awkward laugh poured from his lips, cutting her off, fighting off the rising embarrassment that threatened to steal his voice. He asked hoarsely, dreading her reasoning but desperate to know all the same. “What did you think? Who said we're together?“

”You... you were covered in her scent the other morning,“ the air draconis explained, covering her beet red face, ”so I assumed. I'm sorry!“

It all clicked at that moment. The way she refused to meet his eyes the day before, the flush that dashed her cheeks when mentioning Lucy. Wendy's odd behavior had nothing to do with some private thing in her life distracting her but rather... Natsu's jaw dropped, staring quizzically in disbelief as the younger Draconis fidgeted in her seat.

When too many silent seconds passed, she began again, ”I really AM sor-“

”It's not the first time her scent’s been on me,“ Natsu said hurriedly, cutting her off again as he regathered his thoughts, ”I-It’s been on me before loads of times. Like... this ain't known? Why would now suddenly mean we're a thing?“

Wendy whined, peeking through her fingers at him, ”All over your face Natsu?! Her scent’s never been on your face before! And when we were coming to see you she bumped into us and- and- Your scent was all over her neck! What was I supposed to think?!“

Her voice cracked, striking a new octave strong enough to make his ears ring. He tried to hurriedly defend himself, but words didn’t escape- That didn’t mean anything! That was because he-

His teeth clacked at how quickly he shut his mouth as the memories of his escape with Lucy came flooding back.

He was hardly aware of himself, too tired and comfortable to argue with Lucy when she was being weird. So he did the first thing that came to his mind, sinking his teeth in her ear. He didn’t remember much after, with sleep claiming him as he rested his head in the crook of her neck. It was the most restful sleep he’d had in a while before Kage’s scent forced him awake again.

It felt right in the moment but now, during the day, wide awake and running on adrenaline, he finally pieced together why Lucy had reprimanded the action. He hadn't meant it the way Wendy had translated it, but -

He choked out a squeak, an oddly shrill sound that made Wendy jump in her seat. If she could smell that, then that means- ”... oh god the old lady….does she…?“

Wendy could only nod and Natsu felt another stone drop into the pit of his stomach. The approaching scent of the girl in this scenario was a staunch reminder of how little time they had left to talk privately and each second slammed another fact straight through Natsu's brain.

Why had he been so touchy? Not just then, but lately? How often did he cross that line with Lucy and not realize it?

It was too much to think about. He decided, teeth grinding, especially with two enemies currently in the keep. Changing directions, he stuffed the thoughts of Lucy into the back of his mind (to hopefully forget), and spun towards the door of the keep. There were more pressing matters at hand. Wendy leapt from her seat, latching herself to his arm. A surge of wind wrapped itself around them, gently pushing Natsu away from the door.

”No, no, no!“ She cried, face still a flaming red. He could feel her heated cheeks against his arm and guiltily looked to his feet, still attempting to walk forward, ”Natsuuu, I really AM sorry, but you can't go in there! I swear I mostly kept it to myself so-“

He froze when she did, both realizing the emphasis she put on 'mostly.' With a voice lowering to such a whisper that his own ears could barely catch it, he tilted his gaze back to her, ”... mostly?“

”Oh no!“ She flinched, burying her face into his bicep while her fingers dug into his skin, ”I didn't mean that-! Well, I mean, I did, but it wasn't supposed to happen-'. He didn't stop her rambling, but the way they both could now hear Erza and Lucy's voice down the path helped spur her to get to the point.

“It’s just the old lady right? Only she knows?” He hissed.

Wendy gnawed at her bottom lip guiltily. ”I…..may have accidentally let it slip near Gray...“

No.

Just when he thought it couldn't get any worse, she hesitantly added, “... who was... talking to Cana.”

NO.

“Oh you’ve gotta be fucki-” Horrors upon horrors fell upon Natsu's shoulders. He needed to get inside the keep to see the old man again. Or connect his fist with something solid, like the face of that strange draconis before anything else happened. His exclamation however, was interrupted before he could finish the thought.

“Natsu!” Erza bellowed, commanding voice cutting through the air. They both froze. She was on a warpath barrelling towards them in armored fury, leaving Lucy behind to watch with unhurried steps. “If you think you can bully Wendy into letting you in -”

Wendy looked just as overwhelmed as Natsu felt, ducking behind him to hide from her wrath. She sprang into action at Erza’s accusation, peeking out to wave frantically to the angered woman, ”It's all right! He wasn't trying to go in, I swear!“

Eyes shifted to meet Natsu’s in a silent plea, making him force a grin (albeit a terrified one) and nodded, ”Was just teasing her! I wouldn't put Wendy through that, haha.“

But then his eyes narrowed, hoping his fellow draconis would catch the underlying, 'this doesn't make up for it' message behind it. Nodding, she accepted the claim, as both seemed to take on a more relaxed air with practiced ease.

First he needed to chuck a pillow at Makarov and Freed. Now he had to noogie Wendy and prank her. How many people were going to get added to his 'be an annoyance' list before this week was through?

”Ah, very good then,” Erza said, her approach slowing when she caught up. She eyed them both suspiciously despite their assurances, but thought better than to continue the line of thought. Rather, she examined Natsu from head to toe and frowned deeply.

“Shouldn't you sit down?” She questioned, “While I understand your need for exercise, you've been out of bed for some time now. You should rest your legs.”

Natsu rolled his eyes and snorted. Seriously he wasn’t gonna keel over if he stood up.

“I'm fine-” Natsu cut himself off, looking over Erza's shoulder to meet the brown eyes of a certain celestial Romni finally catching up to them.

“It really doesn't matter what state you're in,” She beamed, face practically glowing with her greeting, “You're still ready to cause trouble, aren't you?”

“I-” Suddenly, words became difficult all over again. As if the damage in his throat had returned tenfold, forgetting all the hours and magic put behind healing it. He couldn't find the words to reply to her and laughed breathlessly.

At Wendy's curiously wide stare, he shook his head to regain his thoughts and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, ”I'm just... tryna to make sure no one else gets hurt. That's all.“

And that was the perfect distraction he needed, eyes narrowing as he remembered his earlier ire. At his sudden glare, Erza matched his expression and crossed her arms. ”What’s the big idea bringing Lucy up here anyway?”

”I don't see why not.”

“There's TWO good reasons inside those doors-!”

Before Natsu and Erza could continue, Lucy jumped between them with hands on her hips, eyes glinting dangerously in his direction. “I thought we got over this speaking as if I'm not RIGHT here half a year ago?”

He flinched, “Ah... but I-“

Her expression soured, “But?“ She repeated, a hint of her magic sizzling in the air.

The return of her magic threatened to pull a grin out of Natsu, but the scent of danger radiating off her made him immediately backpedal, ”Nothing! Sorry!“

”Thank you.“

He didn't miss the way Wendy inhaled sharply, giving him the most deadpanned stare he'd ever seen from her.

While Natsu chose to ignore Wendy, he looked to Erza who avoided his gaze. Whatever her reasoning for bringing Lucy along, it would remain a mystery. And rather than risk angering her further, he moved to claim Wendy’s stump, flopping onto it with a dramatic huff. His thoughts had been in disarray since leaving his home, But now this? It was too much to think about. Not today, he could think about it another day.

Lucy, on the other hand, took the moment to question Wendy about the draconis' inability to stay home now that he'd been given permission to walk around. Recounting the tale of Natsu's exploits against the keep door had her exasperated in seconds, but her smile grew at a subtle humor as well.

Erza had fallen silent. She vaguely listened with a curious expression. Yet her eyes flickered from place to place, unable to stay focused.

In fact, Natsu noticed once he'd broken through his own sulking, the redhead could barely stand still: feet shifted and fingers drummed along her forearm. Once or twice her gaze settled on a specific room attached to the keep before darting back to Wendy and Lucy's conversation.

Natsu knew restless energy enough to recognize it in Erza and her revealing it was fascinating enough to distract most of his errant thoughts.

“In a hurry to go somewhere?” He cocked his head and waited for a response, surprised when Erza jumped. That was... not normal.

“Not particularly,” Her breezy reply was too controlled and Natsu didn't buy it for a second. Ignoring Wendy and Lucy's sudden silence, he hardened his gaze and waited until Erza's uncharacterized fidgeting grew even more so, “why are you looking at me like that?”

“Why are you lying?” He countered, voice cutting sharp through the cracks of his throat.

With eye twitching, her tone dropped to a hiss, “Not everything needs to be YOUR business.”

Fear shot through his system like lightning and he gulped. Abort! Abort! “Fine, whatever! I bet it's something girly anyways.”

“You're clearly trying to provoke me,“ she crossed her arms, fiddling with straps of her leather bracers, ”considering your injuries, I'll choose to ignore it: back. off.“

Foolishly realizing he'd backed himself into a corner, Natsu was stuck between pushing her buttons further or doing just as Erza suggested. Whatever was on her mind, it wasn't worth the risk, but the curious gazes from Lucy and Wendy began to crack Erza's shell as a blush crept down her neck.

There wasn't a chance to call it out, as those flickering eyes finally caught something in the distance, widening in relief. “Ah, your charge has finally arrived. Good. I can go then.”

“Wait,” Lucy chimed in, puzzled, “what was the point in bringing me if you're just going to leave-“

Her question went unanswered as Erza beat a hasty retreat towards the keep. Turning right at the entry door, she entered the side building, where Natsu realized the smell of their other stranger was currently dwelling. His eyes narrowed as she slipped inside. Odd, but not important enough to dwell on now, not when Freed and Levy's scent invaded his senses.

”Oh, that's what she meant,“ Wendy clarified, ”He was downwind and I couldn't smell him.“ And his rising voice, chatting about the inner meanings behind rune writing and enchantments, went over all of their heads except for the short romni who walked beside him eyes gleaming in excited interest.

”Tch,“ He grumbled, ”getting more crowded by the minute.“

Now how was he going to sneak into the keep with not two, but four pairs of eyes here to watch him?! He sulked so far down into himself that he slid off the stump. Some day out this turned out to be.

Natsu was right to question Erza's actions. She was flustered from his perceptive senses, annoyingly sniffing out her calm ruse. But a different worry weighed heavily on her mind, one that had her hanging on the edge with apprehension. Her old friend and temporary guest was at risk of being imprisoned right along with the other two. And his fate entirely hinged on the answers he gave in the next hour.

Her intentions with Lucy and waiting for Natsu's next keeper to arrive were layered. While Freed recovered quickly and was back to his prime, even she'd noticed Natsu's penchant for calming down around Lucy. It was an effect that garnered Erza's curiosity as well as mystified her; If it meant easing everyone’s frustrations, then it was an effect she was willing to put to use.

But she had to admit to herself, there was an altogether different motive to her actions today.

She knocked on the door to Jellal's current quarters mostly out of polite tradition, but didn't bother waiting for permission. Using it as her introduction, she entered the small room that had once been used for storage and immediately looked for the current subject of her thoughts.

She didn't have to look long.

Jellal made it easy and the size of the room gave no options for hiding either way. Seated by a makeshift table of old barrels, he pored over a book he'd brought along with him, brows furrowed in concentration. It gave the impression he hadn't heard her at all, but the subtle pause when he skipped the page told her otherwise.

This gave her ample time to get comfortable, grabbing the nearest, rickety chair and barring the door from other potential visitors. Silence built between them as she watched him flip through another page, clearing his throat at odd intervals. She took the time to study his profile, noting the changes from the time she'd seen him two years earlier.

His hair was a mess, shaggier than she was used to and sheared unevenly as strands of blue brushed along his shoulders. What once was a man of pale skin, now looked tan as if he'd been under the sun for months of travel, but most noticeably, was the red tattoo etched into the right side of his face.

”You didn't have that when we last met,“ She broke the silence, pleased when he paused in his reading, softly shutting the book with a finger marking his place.

He glanced back with a light smile crinkling his eyes. He knew he should’ve greeted her when she came in, but he was too engrossed in the pages to pull himself away so soon.

”Many members of my clan become tattooed once they reach a certain age,“ He explained, trailing a hand along the red lines thoughtfully, ”In my case, this was due to a promotion in rank, more than anything else.“

”... does this rank perhaps have anything to do with why you sought me out?“ The question was pointed, seeing no reason to dodge the meat of the matter.

Chuckling, Jellal shrugged, ”Ah, so we're starting this so soon?“

She murmured his name in a soft warning, eyes narrowing, “I've given Makarov my faith in you, but that doesn't mean I'm allowed to avoid protocol. I need to know why you're here.”

“And I suppose wanting to see an old friend isn't a good enough reason?” He asked, voice lowering as he looked at his book, not expecting an answer, “it would be ridiculous to assume I miraculously found your location out of a drive to see you again, but I won't lie and say I didn't wish it were the truth.”

She warmed at his confession, the implication plain as she coughed into her arm to hide it, “Please, be serious. If you don't answer me honestly, I'll have no say in where you end up next. It'll be out of my hands.”

“My apologies.“ The book was set aside and he turned in his seat fully facing her. ”Then you want to know what reason could I possibly have to work with a man whose clan has made attempts on your family's life all for the sake of kidnapping a certain girl. Am I correct?“

Erza's teeth clenched and she nodded, allowing him to continue. A few seconds passed in awkward silence and she feared he wasn't going to continue, but eventually Jellal hummed and pulled the sleeves back on his hands, holding his arms to the dim light for her to see.

His hands trembled as he held them aloft from strain of a secret shame she knew nothing of, but she spied the thin faded lines of old scrapes that litterred his skin under the sickly purples of fading bruises. They coiled around his arms and fingers, and drew her attention to what he quietly wanted her to see.

His wrists were swollen with old rope burns and she bit back a gasp. She hadn’t seen them before, and bile climbed into her throat as she wondered just how they looked before Porlyusica had a look at them.

She knew immediately what he intended to tell her. “... you were imprisoned by them.”

He nodded, covering his arms with a swift flourish, “the only one I consider myself allied with is Gajeel. Even then, it's merely out of convenience. If not for him, I'd still be tied up like some animal.”

Shocked, Erza tried to put the pieces together despite missing far too many points for a clear picture, ”I need you to tell me the whole story. Please.“

Wetting his lips with a swipe of his tongue, Jellal took a second to consider and nodded. “Jose is looking for a celestial, but he’s doing so blindly. He has no idea which one he needs so any of us not hidden to the North are fair game. When I was in their camp, Erza, I heard him boasting that he'd finally found the right one. The one your clan has taken in. A girl of golden hair whose family was massacred a year ago. I’d heard of their demise and grieved deeply for them, but I had to see for myself if there was a survivor. And if Jose was right.”

“Right? Right about what? What would he need a celestial for?” She pressed, voice growing cold.

“There are numerous myths and legends in my tribe, Erza,” he said amiably, running a finger along the spine of his forgotten book, “and I honestly can't say I know for sure, but... this book may hold the answer. Gajeel had it. Swiped it from Jose himself, I imagine. It may hold the answers you and I both seek.”

“And Gajeel?” She asked, “what's his angle?”

He fell silent, for the first time since their chat began, he looked insecure, uncertain. ”That man has many secrets and faces. I don't think he ever lays out his full hand for anyone, but he's made it clear he doesn't plan on bringing the girl to Jose. He has his own agenda.“

Exhaling, all the tension Erza had upon entering the room fell off her shoulders. She couldn't sense an ounce of dishonesty in his words, and it was more than enough for her to feel Makarov would allow him to stay.

”Then I can only hope Makarov is able to figure out his motives for the rest of us.“ There were still many unknowns, but at least this much seemed to be in their favor.

Unfortunately, he didn't share her optimism as his lips thinned into a grimace, “I can assure you that he will speak the truth when the time comes, but he'll do everything he can to avoid sharing all that he knows. I can vouch that we're not here to cause trouble, but any further than that, is a mystery.”

“Thank you for being upfront with me,” Erza was emphatic with her words, her interest now falling on the book he was carefully studying, “... would you like to meet her?”

“Her?” Jellal blinked and Erza beamed.

”Lucy,“ She said, ”you are technically cousins, are you not?”

Night fell quickly for those who wanted to spend more time out and about. Natsu in particular, though distracted by his friends as best as they could, fumed at the wasted day. By the time the chill started to creep into the air, he'd been whisked back to his home and the night crickets serenaded the night sky by his window.

Erza remained in Jellal's room for hours, learning what she could and catching up with her old friend. When she fell into the comfort of her own bed, her mind buzzed with information and puzzle pieces that were far too varied to connect.

Makarov, too, rested with his mind surrounded by deep thoughts. He frowned as he recalled his conversation with the new Draconis and tossed and turned above his furs until a fitful sleep claimed him.

It was a night full of peace and restless unease teetering back and forth on scales, waiting to balance out. Even Gajeel, given a small room to rest in, laid on a cramped cot that barely held his frame. Long hair trailed down in a wild mass to brush the floor that he swept up to rest on his chest. He smirked, combing his fingers through the long locks. His talk with Makarov led him one step closer to his goals and the shackles had been removed.

But he caught the slide of a wooden board and the familiar bolt of iron latches being shoved into place, effectively locking him. And the nearest window was too narrow for him to slip through. He fiddled with the random baubles in his pockets and studied the ceiling above him, mind abuzz with possibilities.

His travel partner, Juvia, should have made it back to Jose by now, he figured. While the woman was more reserved, willing to follow orders than lead, he trusted she'd feed Jose the information they agreed upon and stay at the other chief's side in his absence. She could take care of it, but that left him with his other goal. He thought it would take longer to find what he needed, but everything had fallen into his lap with very little effort.

Withdrawing his hand from his pocket, he cupped a blue gem nestled in his palm. He eyed the small orb lazily, throwing his other arm behind his head. It glowed slightly in the darkness, and it hummed with a magic all of its own that he could feel lightly tugging against him. Beautiful and rare; a gem that could be mined in the depths of his true home. He rubbed a smudge off it and snorted, glaring into its translucent surface as if peering into a far off space.

“Now I know I ain’t taking that long for you to stop paying attention to this thing,” He said dryly as one does to a person standing in front of them. “It's only been what? Four years? Don’t tell me my old man was right about you givin’ up.”

It was a tasteless barb, one that held no heat, but sparked a response in the gem. The shimmering mass of liquid inside flickered and spun itself into an image pieced together by bits of light until he saw the innards of an old cave, illuminated by thousands of gems in its likeness. It refocused on the silhouette of an older man, peering back into its depths as he growled in turn.

”Your father,“ The man said, rolling his eyes, ”has lost the bet. He thought it would take you another ten. Good to see you alive, kid.”

He cursed, already annoyed two seconds into the conversation, “Of course he did, the ass. You're looking rather alive today, have you been able to see the sun more than once a month?”

The voice in the gem grumbled, ”You're as insufferable as he is. Get on with it. I doubt you're using up the magic in your lacrima for pleasantries.“

”Gihee, maybe I just wanna string you along just to piss-“

”Gajeel.“ The voice rumbled and the gem shook violently, spiking with heat as magic flared within its depths and somehow, so did the walls of his room. Dust fell from the ceiling and onto Gajeel’s shoulders as he flew up, stiff and alert, glancing wildly around. He strained to hear any signs of others becoming aware of the magic surge. A beat passed and he sighed. Good, no one was alerted. He refocused on the gem and squeezed it tight with a snarl.

“Cheating asshole,” He spat. What was it with old men ruining his fun today? “Your good ol’ pal and rival has been busy makin' connections, but he ain't got what he wants yet. On the other hand, I got exactly what YOU want.”

“...meaning?”

He smirked, eyes wild with brimming excitement, “he's here. I found him.”

Another flare of heat came from the gem, strong enough to crack the surface. But the break didn’t matter as the light began to fade. The lacrima, made to send only one simple message, had lost its stored power. With his message sent and the sudden chaos of shocked shouts within the stone cut out. Chuckling, Gajeel pocketed the stone to charge it with his magic once again. Now in a much better mood than he was before.

His whistling echoed off the walls and down the hall of the keep. The balanced scales teetered once again as the uneasy restlessness was overpowered by a sudden peace.

The village settled. Stars sparkled their light along with the moon above, and somewhere far off on the edges of the Magnolia forest, another camp settled to sleep as well.

All, but one. The Phantom Chief, receiving news from a reserved woman who recently returned. Her report was given succinctly and he'd waved her off with an impassive facade.

In truth, he was holding back cackling loud into the night. It would only be a matter of time for him to get what he wanted: glorious.

He'd have to promote Gajeel when he returned and maybe commend Kage as well: if the lowly peon managed to survive.

#nalu #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction #natsuxlucy #Natsu Dragneel #Lucy Heartfilia #FT Fanfiction #My Writing #Kili's Fanfiction #Gajeel Redfox #Wendy Marvell #Erza Scarlet #jellal fernandes #did i hint to jerza?#yeah probably

37 notes · View notes

parsimonius · 2 months

Text

omg hi I haven’t written in a lil I’ve been busy freaking out over legit everything but I wrote a little more of my dragon Natsu and princess Lucy fic that I refuse to post bc I’m nervous it’s boring

………

“Can you grab the bandages, Natsu?” She asks, completely forgetting to add Prince to his name until she looks up. But he’s already tossing the empty stick that once held her fish into the flames, moving to grab the bandages next to Gray.

He finds it after a second, grinning before tossing it towards her. She catches it (somehow), before unraveling and sticking it to her leg. It’s sloppy, and nowhere near as perfect as Lokes, but it’ll do for now. It helped that this..Wendy girl—was great at making salves. She couldn’t even feel the slight stinging sensation she had gotten used to since this morning after falling.

She finishes up, giving it back to Natsu, who seems to have fun tossing it until it hits Gray in the head, who turns to glare before looking away quickly because her pant leg was still up.

“You can look, boys,” She says as she rolls her eyes, pulling her pant leg down. Gray and Gajeel sigh before their heads turn back towards her and Natsu. She glances at Natsu. “If they turned to look away, why didn’t you?”

Natsu looks at her; confused. “Why would I?”

Gajeel laughs, “He ain’t got a single shred of respect nor dignity in that ol’ lizard brain Princess. That’s why.”

“Hey!” Natsu yells, going to stand up, his fist turning to flames in the span of a second. Lucy jumps in surprise, but Natsu must notice, because the flame is quick to go out as he slumps back down on the log. ‘Tch.”

Gray yawns, rubbing his eyes. “While I’d love to watch Natsu get his ass beat, I’m tired. Who is first watch?”

Gajeel yawns at the same time. “Natsu and the Princess can. I doubt he’ll sleep for a while.”

“I am right here,” Natsu crosses his arms. Gajeel raises an eyebrow before he turns to go towards one of the three tents set up where Gray is already moving towards, waving his arm lazily. “Whatever…”

52 notes · View notes

stevmarie · 5 months

Text

Just saw someone on tiktok say “The ships that we need to be talking about are the ships where there’s one person who wears crocs and the another person who hates the fact that they’re in love with someone who wears crocs”.

Anyway, Laxus wears crocs (with white socks) and Gajeel hates that he’s in love with someone who wears crocs. In this essay I will…

39 notes · View notes

heartonxions · 2 months

Text

the demons got to me... aka my fanfiction gajevy demons...

#WHAT DO I TAG THIS #IM SHY #SUPER SHY SUPER SHY #SORRY #uh #levy mcgarden #gajeel redfox #gajevy #gajeel x levy #sort of??#yes??#in the universe..#onx rambles #fanfic #fanfiction

13 notes · View notes

sofya-fanfics · 5 months

Text

Their Secret Relationship

Fandom : Fairy Tail

Relationship : Gajeel x Levy, Nastu x Juvia

My Year of the OTP 2023 contribution for the prompt : secret relationship (reveal).

I’m sorry for the mistakes, English is not my native language. I hope you like it.

Summary : Levy looked at Natsu and Juvia. That’s strange, she thought, how long had they been friends ? Of course, Juvia was close to everyone at the guild and Natsu would do anything for its members, who were family to him. However, Levy did not remember ever seeing them talk together, much less have lunch.

Disclaimer : Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima.

@yearoftheotpevent

AO3 / FF.NET

Levy looked at Natsu and Juvia. That’s strange, she thought, how long had they been friends ? Of course, Juvia was close to everyone at the guild and Natsu would do anything for its members, who were family to him. However, Levy did not remember ever seeing them talk together, much less have lunch.

It was noon and most of the Fairy Tail members were having lunch at the guild. Levy was waiting for Gajeel. Natsu, Juvia and Happy were a few tables away from hers. Therefore, she had the opportunity to watch them. Usually, Natsu and Happy would have lunch together or with other members of their team, especially Lucy. And if Juvia did not have lunch with her or Gajeel, she spent most of her time with Cana and Lisanna. Something is going on, Levy was sure of it.

“What are you looking at ?”

Levy jumped. She was so focused on watching Natsu and Juvia that she did not notice Gajeel and Panther Lily approaching. Gajeel was behind her. He leaned over her to look in the same direction as her. Panther Lily was on his shoulder.

“Do you know how long they’ve been friends ?” Levy asked.

“Natsu and Juvia ? They are not friends.”

Gajeell straightened up and sat across from her, preventing her to see the dragon slayer and water mage table. As for Panther Lily, he sat at the other end of the table.

“Happy told me they were hired for a mission a month or two ago,” the Exceed said. “They must have gotten closer at this point.”

Levy frowned. She felt there was something else.

******

A few days later, Levy and Juvia were in a children's clothing store. Levy was four months pregnant and Juvia wanted to take her shopping for her future child.

“It’s never too early to prepare,” Juvia had told her.

Levy had to admit that she was right and everything she saw in this store made her happy.

“Look what Juvia found.”

She showed her a little yellow onesie with a smiling sun sewn on the front.

“Juvia knows what she’s going to get you.”

“You do not have to.”

Juvia shook her head and smiled at her.

“That makes Juvia happy.”

She walked over to the cash register to pay for the onesie. Levy could not help smiling. As soon as she knew she was pregnant, Juvia proclaimed herself aunt of her future child.

“Gajeel was my only family for years,” she had told her. “So it’s normal that I’m there for you when you need it.”

Levy was lucky to have someone like Juvia in her life. She looked out the window and she saw Natsu and Happy walking on the street. Natsu carried his backpack, like when he went on a mission. Juvia approached, holding a bag containing the onesie.

“What's the matter ?” she asked.

“It looks like Natsu is going to leave the city.”

“He goes on a mission for two days.”

“How do you know ?”

“He told Juvia about it yesterday.”

Levy looked at her, surprised. She thought back to when she had seen them having lunch together a few days ago. Which meant they had seen each other again.

“You spend a lot of time together.”

Juvia looked away and Levy frowned.

“Not so much, Juvia ran into him by chance.”

“Lily told me you went on a mission together.”

Juvia nodded and walked towards a table where different items were placed.

“Look at these bootees. It’s so cute.”

Levy knew she was trying to change the conversation. There was something going on between Juvia and Natsu, she was sure of it. But she would not say anything. If Juvia did not want to talk about it, Levy would not press her.

******

“I'm sure they're in a relationship,” Levy said, giving a screwdriver to Gajeel.

“Who ?” He answered, taking the screwdriver.

They were in the bedroom they were converting for their child and Gajeel was putting the crib together.

“Juvia and Natsu.”

“What are you talking about ?”

“Haven't you seen how they behave, the way they look at each other ? And I often saw them together.”

“You imagine things. Juvia never paid attention to Natsu.”

“Things change. Especially after what happened with Gray.”

Gajeel groaned. Everyone in the guild knew about Juvia's feelings for Gray. Unfortunately, he did not feel the same. Juvia had overheard a conversation between Gray and Erza, where he told her that he was not in love with Juvia and that he would never be. When he realized that she had heard him, he apologized, telling her that he did not want her to find out like that. Juvia had not blamed him, but she had been heartbroken. Gajeel, on the other hand, still had not forgiven Gray for hurting Juvia.

As for Natsu, Levy suspected that he was in love with Lucy. But she never realized it and when she was in a relationship, Levy saw sadness in Natsu's eyes.

“I think she might be happy with Ntsu.”

“With that idiot ? He's even dumber than Gray.”

Levy lightly hit his arm. Yet, she could not get the idea out of her head. And if they really were a couple, she would be happy for her two friends.

******

Three months had passed. The first snowflakes of winter had replaced the red leaves of autumn. Levy was seven months pregnant with twins. She still had a hard time believing it. It was both wonderful and frightening. But she knew everything was going to be okay with Gajeel by her side.

Night had fallen. They were coming home. In the distance, Levy saw Juvia and Natsu. They were smiling at each other and they were close, very close. So close that Levy thought for a moment they were going to kiss. She suddenly stopped walking.

“Is Everything all right ?” Gajeel asked, worried.

Levy nodded and pointed at Juvia and Natsu who had moved away from each other.

“Look.”

Gajeel stopped himself from rolling his eyes.

“You’re at it again.”

Levit pouted. Gajeel did not believe her when she told him that Natsu and Juvia were a couple. Each time, he told her that she had too much imagination. And Levy had no proof for what she was saying. Just her instinct.

Without thinking about what she was doing, she approached Natsu and Juvia. She heard Gajeel calling her, but she did not stop. Her friends did not see her arriving and they kissed.

“I knew it !” Levy cried out.

Natsu and Juvia jumped and moved away from each other.

“I can’t believe it, you were right,” Gajeel said, opening his eyes wide.

The dragon slayer and the water mage blushed and exchanged a look.

“Why didn’t you tell me ?” Gajeel asked Juvia.

She looked at Gajeel guiltily.

“Juvia’s sorry. She wanted to tell you, but...”

She looked at Natsu, as if she was searching for help and comfort. Levy could see how bad she felt for lying to them. Especially to Gajeel.

“We wanted to keep our story to ourselves. Without anyone getting involved or judging us.”

“And after what happened with Gray-san, Juvia was worried about what you would think. Do you forgive us ?”

Gajeel sighed.

“Are you happy ?”

“Juvia is very happy.”

“So that's all that matters. Even if it's with this idiot.”

“Hey !” Natsu cried out.

He glared at him, annoyed. Levy laughed lightly at his reaction. She approached Juvia and took her in her arms.

“I'm happy for you.”

Juvia smiled and put her arms around Levy. Even if Natsu and Juvia were different, she knew they would be happy together. And no matter how anyone would react when they would learn of their relationship, she would be there to support them.

The end

#year of the otp #year of the otp 2023 #fairy tail #navia #natsu x juvia #gajevy #gajeel x levy #levy mcgarden #gajeel redfox #juvia lockser #natsu dragneel #navia fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #fanfiction #my writing

25 notes · View notes

caissa-scribbles · 2 months

Text

Restlessly, Gajeel ran his fingers over the ground. Deep down in the rock he could feel traces of ore, but it was more a whisper than a call. Aluminium, probably. Or nickel.

He sighed. It had been ages since he had last eaten raw iron, unsmelted, freshly broken from the intestines of the earth. A taste that evoked memories from a time when things had been easy and full of wonder. His thoughts digressed...

"C'mon, eat already. Yer crammin' down all kinds of stuff all the time."

The boy weighs the grey-black lump in his scratched hand, pulling a face.

"You can't eat rocks."

With an indignant snorting, the dragon gives the boy a mighty slap on the back of his head, thus making him tip forward, lengthways into the dust.

"Moron! Tha's not a rock, it's hematite. Iron ore. Eat."

The kid gets back up, defiantly crossing his arms but without letting go of the rock.

"But you can't eat iron either!"

"Yes, we can, you and I. 'S nothin' better. Now, try!"

To prove his point, the dragon bites a clashing hole into the rock wall, which is covered in reddish brown sediment, and crunches the ore with delight. The rumbling and tumbling from his mouth sounds like a debris avalanche thundering down the slope towards them, but the boy is not afraid.

He turns the nugget to and fro. Eating dirt is something he doesn't mind. The villagers' wastes were always dirty. And sometimes, when his hunger had been unbearable and there had been nothing edible to be found, he had chewed on leaves and twigs from the forest floor or nibbled on tree barks like a deer.

Now there is always plenty of food. Real food. The dragon takes care of that.

Doubtfully, he lifts the lump and sinks his teeth into it.

The raw ore crunches in his mouth like sand, the brittle crumbs scratch his tongue.

But it tastes good. Warm and bloody and sweet like the meat of a freshly killed animal.

Never in his life has he eaten something so amazing.

He craves more.

More.

Greedily, he wolfs down the pieces of ore the chuckling dragon keeps knocking out of the rock wall for him, chews and gulps, gulps an chews as if he were starving.

Small chips tear open his palate and throat. His stomach burns, but he can't stop eating. Rusty saliva is dripping from the corners of his mouth.

And then the iron starts to sing in his veins. The force within him, which he can now call all by himself, shouts its jubilant response as if it had already waited for the iron to come. Magic, the dragon said, not some devilish power. It bubbles up like a geyser, roars through his blood like a waterfall until he's all dizzy.

The skin on his bare arms begins to prickle as iron scales burst out from it. His legs, his face, his ribcage under the ragged tunic. Everything turns into iron. But not cold and rigid. Flexible and warm and hard like the dragon's hide, the dragon who is so strong and invulnerable.

He wonders, might he be as strong as the dragon now, too?

He grabs the nearest chunk of hematite with both hands and breaks it apart as easily as if it were but a piece of bread. The boy beams all over his face.

Next to him, the dragon bursts out into a booming laughter until little pieces of gravel drizzle down the rock wall, a garnet ember sparkling in his dark eyes. His huge paw slams the boy against his armoured chest, but this time, the tough hug hardly hurts.

"Hah! Tha's my brat!"

And suddenly the boy understands: the dragon is proud of him. For the first time in his life, somebody is proud of him.

Now he wants to eat even more iron.

#fairy tail #gajeel redfox #metalicana #dragon style parenting #fanfiction #eatyouriron #random snippet #fairy tail 9 months quest

19 notes · View notes

neen-writes · 3 months

Text

Silver for Monsters -- Ch. 8 "Ghosts"

Pairing: Gajeel/Levy

Series: Fairy Tail, Witcher AU

Notes: Finally found the motivation to finish this chapter! It's a bit transitional, a bit tense, I'm hoping to get into some juicier stuff in the next chapter. Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

“Is it true what the folk say? That Witchers are emotionless?”

A small, half-dead fire cast weak light on the Witcher and the sorceress. He’d set it, and maintained it long enough to roast the small rabbit he shot shortly after setting camp. It was a meager meal, but they’d both brought enough supplemental vittles to make it a worthwhile meal.

Gajeel grimaced at the broad question, with so little nuance. He leveled a disappointed stare at her, arching a single brow, “Tell me you’re not so thick.”

She raised her hands in surrender with a dry laugh. “I’m joking. I have eyes, you know,” she offered. “Curious where the rumor comes from though.” They had spoken briefly about what he was when they’d first met. It felt like an age, now, since that night in her old home when she was patching up his wounds from the Fiend. When she thought that was to be the one and only time that she would ever meet and interact with the Witcher. It felt more valuable, then, to try and eke out whatever information she could get on Witchers if she was to never meet one again.

It was amusing, in retrospect, how ignorant the two of them were that night to everything they would experience in the coming days. When fate would draw the two unlikely allies together not once, twice, but three times. It started to feel like some sort of cosmic affront to do anything but travel together. Which led her to wonder what that would mean for them when she did find Erza. Would the two of them go their separate ways then? Levy and her compatriots, surely, would have no shortage of work to do when she found out whatever Erza had to impart upon them. None of which had to do with Gajeel.

Levy had limited knowledge on Witchers, but she did know that they notoriously did not involve themselves in the matters of men. Certainly not kings. Hunters for hire, that was their purpose, and they had yet to make any qualms with that designation.

Gajeel showed little amusement or enthusiasm towards entertaining her line of conversation. Especially given where they left off just a short time before settling down for the night. He’d grown more than accustomed to her composure, at times so steadfast that she readily humbled him into his own. Levy, in the short time he knew her, held her nerve. In the face of Temerian soldiers and Fiends in the dark, she stood steady. Yet this night, looking into a crowd of dancers, the mere possibility she saw someone she believed dead drove her to near madness. The look in her eyes before almost calling out to the crowd was unrecognizable. Foreign.

Still, it was clear even to him that she was just trying to fill the silence, and he found himself with much more tolerance for her than he expected. If tolerance was even the word for it. Did tolerance feel like the overwhelming desire for her to talk to him?

He cleaned off the last bit of meat from a femur, and swiped the back of his hand at the grease on his mouth. “Same place they all come from. Shite storytellers with an agenda. Witchers were respected until they weren’t, and you know the damage the right people can do with ignorant townsfolk and a good motive.” There was no real bitterness or displeasure in his tone as much as there was boredom. It was a tired tale and it made no difference to him what people thought. If Witchers took the time to give a shit about the opinions of the masses, they’d never do anything else. “We gotta keep ourselves in check in this line o’ work anyway. Focused, disciplined, all that. It’s an easy image to keep.”

Levy cocked her head, leaning back against a tree. “It’s clearly untrue, why let them believe it?”

Gajeel shrugged, “Why not? It’s good for business, and we get paid either way,” he flicked a cleaned bone off into the shrubs. “If you’re necessary, good at what you do, and feared, it tends to work in your favor.” With a long stick, he pushed around the charred logs in the fire, working to smother the remaining embers. It was risky enough to set a fire, but they needed to eat, and if he was being honest, he wouldn’t have protested a little something to get his blood pumping.

The sorceress knit her brows together, “I have a sneaking suspicion that really only works if you’re a man.”

“It does. Good news for me,” he flashed a sly grin at her, which she did not return outright, but the twinkle was in her eye regardless. That should not have felt like as much of a victory as it did. “Though the stories ain’t stingy with how much not being a man works for you sorceresses,” Gajeel paused to puff out his chest a little and tilt up his chin, “Political power, wealth, positions of esteem.” There’s mockery in his tone coming from someone that had absolutely no regard for any of these things. Money he needed, sure, for gear and the day to day. But wealth? Nothing but problems.

Levy barked a laugh that lacked any shred of warmth. Ah, that was far less satisfying. “Oh yes, how mighty we are,” she sneered, adjusting the hood around her neck. “When men fear one another, they have an odd habit of turning it into respect or obedience. Oh but when men fear women, particularly those they cannot grasp and control when fires ignite in their gluttonous, round bellies…” She held his stare then, the dying firelight dancing across her features. He thought, suddenly, of when he first met her and the way her conjured fire illuminated her when facing the Fiend. How his immediate thought, before he controlled himself, was how terrifyingly beautiful she was. And how that clashed with what she was telling him now.

Half of the Lodge’s identity was their beauty. In fact, it had been an intentional representation, because magic and swords were not half as effective at gaining favor as desire. Part of their development as mages, a reward as it had once been called, was the ability to alter their appearances. If one had the chance to make themselves beautiful and young with a wave of their hand for the rest of their lives, who would pass the opportunity?

In their prime, their alliances wanted both their favor and their company in equal measure. The latter they could often dangle without ever having to follow through, though that wasn’t to say there hadn’t been sorceresses that readily wielded that weapon whenever the benefit arose. Vanity was a trademark of the Lodge, and they had no reason to hide it. Everything was a competition, least of all how many powerful men each had wrapped around their pinky.

The truth of the matter was the Lodge as a whole got cocky. Regardless if there were those of them who preferred more subtle, careful approaches, they were still a singular body in the eyes of kings. The fall was swift, brutal, and bloody. Now she lived in hiding, on the run, with all her relationships strained or burned.

“Well,” she continued, gesturing down at herself, “The story writes itself in living color.” Levy stared Gajeel down a moment longer, then sighed and looked off to the side. She was bitter, how could she not be? She crossed her arms, settled back into the tree best she could, and shut her eyes, “We should get some sleep.”

That was that, and any chance Gajeel had of pushing the issue, or any others burning in his mind was gone. He waited at least another hour to sleep, ensuring the fire was out entirely and their surroundings remained quiet. He told himself that was the only reason he stayed up, but his attention was split between their surroundings and the slow breaths of the demure mage.

Gajeel wasn’t a curious man by nature. He did not linger, he did not dwell. He killed his targets, collected his reward, and moved on. But this situation he found himself in, somehow willingly, was against everything he thought himself to be. He wanted to know more about Levy, he wanted to help her.

A rustle in the brush coiled every muscle in his body, and his eyes flicked from her to motion where the shrubs cleared. A rabbit ran, the shadowed figure of some bird of prey trailing behind. He relaxed, and only then did he realize he had reflexively angled himself closer to her.

Gajeel wanted to protect her.

Those thoughts sat like stones in his chest. Dangerous, heavy stones. But even so, for the first time in the last few weeks, the Witcher’s sleep was dreamless, and the tug in his chest had gone still.

–

“What if they don’t like me, though?” green, expectant eyes turned up to the sorceress who was only a few inches taller than her. Two figures walked down familiarly cold, dreary halls, the shorter carrying a small stack of books. Levy walked with a practiced poise, the straightness in her spine giving away some indication of a higher position.

“Don’t be ridiculous.” That was her voice, Levy’s voice, but it didn’t come from her. In fact, it was as thought she was watching herself from the outside. “Even if they don’t, it doesn’t matter. You’re the most talented prospect Aretuza has seen in an age.”

The younger pouted in response, “But I don’t want to just be a talent. You’re so many things, Levy. I want to be many things too.”

“Likable, among those?” Levy raised her brows and gave a warm, knowing smile to the young mage. “You have more to your advantage than you give yourself credit for. Don’t let the jealousy of your year-mates distract you.”

They turned a corner, coming face to face with another woman dressed like Levy and with similarly perfect posture. A tail of near-white hair was braided over her right shoulder, hanging in front, tied with a black ribbon. All the sorceresses, even the sorcerers, out of Aretuza boasted fair looks, but Mirajane was nothing short of a vision. Devastatingly beautiful, she had spared no effort when given the opportunity to magically alter her appearance. It was as though she looked at every possible asset she could bestow upon herself, and said ‘yes, all.’

“Levy, Mavis,” she nodded to them both by way of greeting. Behind her, a small group of girls the same age as the younger mage with Levy suddenly found the walls and the floors more interesting. “Will you be joining class this evening, or will your lessons take up all your valuable time?” A sly, playfully accusatory look slid over to Levy, who merely rolled her eyes. “I’ll be expanding on deadly herbs and their versatility in harm and healing, if that’s of any motivation for you.”

Mavis shifted shamefully at Levy’s side. She did enjoy Mira’s classes, but Levy’s private lessons were far more interesting. “I’ll have her back when expected, Mira,” Levy cut in, placing a hand on Mavis’ head.

“I’ll hold you to it.” The other sorceress gave her a warm smile, then beckoned to the group of girls behind her to follow along down the hall.

Levy chuckled to herself and ruffled the young mage’s wet hair.

Thunder boomed through the keep’s halls, and Levy withdrew her bloody hand from the girl at her side. She looked out the window first to clear blue skies, and another crack came roaring through. The sorceress opened her mouth to speak to her apprentice, but when looking down upon her found lifeless pools of green staring back. Through her. A cloak of red spread over her, pooling at her bare feet, and volatile magic crackled in sickly green sparks around her.

“I wanted to be just like you.” The third explosion collapsed the halls, and the floor fell out from under them. “I always will.”

–

In the distance, thunder rumbled, long and rolling. Levy lurched awake so violently she choked on her own breath, and fell into a coughing fit. She sat up abruptly, cupping her hands over her mouth to stifle the sound, when two hands pressed on her shoulders. Her eyes darted aimlessly before finding the yellow irises of her Witcher.

“Eyes on me, Lev,” Gajeel’s voice rumbled, calmly, through the chaos of her waking mind. “Breathe,” he commanded, and his grip squeezed once on her shoulders.

She held eye contact with him, trying to swallow down her choking breaths, and he waited patiently with her. The proximity made his heart stutter, but he couldn’t spare the composure to think about it. Levy clasped her collar, trying to anchor herself, and after several moments the fits ceased.

“Good. In through the nose, out through the mouth,” he instructed, calling back on his own daily meditations. She followed without protest until he could hear her heartbeat slow.

The sun had barely started to rise, and cast a stark red glow through the trees upon their camp. It could not have been a more ominous light to wake up from a nightmare into. “I’m fine, thank you,” she raised her hand and placed it against his chest, a form of dismissal but to him a jolt. He released her with control, and leaned back onto his heels.

“Still can’t sleep, eh?”

Levy laughed dryly and swallowed hard, “You could say that,” she answered, “Just, dreams that don’t make any sense.” She brushed herself off, trying to smooth the sleep out of her clothes. Twice now she had embarrassed herself with him.

“I find most of ‘em make sense if you turn ‘em the right way,” he remarked vaguely as he eyed her up and down. He knew that better than she could understand. “Ya want to talk about it? Ain’t been right since last night.” Levy shot him a look that was a pretty immediate ‘no,’ with a tingle of uneasiness that he wasn’t going to just pretend her outbursts at the windmill or just now didn’t happen. “Got anythin’ to do with this Mavis?” Color drained from her face all over again. “You were mumblin’ it in your sleep,” he offered, hoping it would land a bit softer than rehashing their night.

She groaned and ran her fingers through her blue hair, the color shifting with the movement of her hands back to an unassuming brown. Her palms dragged down and round her neck, then pushed up her cheeks to rub at her aching temples. “Can we talk about this on horseback, please. I’m stiffer than a shot of dwarven spirits.”

Gajeel blinked, then laughed gruffly while hauling himself up onto his feet. “Deal. Rain’s gonna start at some point and we got a ways to our destination, yet.”

Another groan. “Rain. Stellar.”

–

“It makes no sense,” Levy started, clutching the rim of the saddle behind her. They’d been riding for somewhere close to an hour already, and moisture most certainly hung in the air as dark clouds moved in faster than they were cantering. “She’d never even been to Aretuza. Mavis came into my life before everything fell apart,” there was a faraway tone in her voice, like still half trying to make sense of the imagery. “Though not for lack of trying on everyone else’s part…but that place would have ruined her.”

Gajeel took a moment to consider his words, which by all accounts was not something he cared to do often. But this was significant to her. “There was someone at the party that looked like her.” Not a question.

Levy deflated, and her face heated in embarrassment. “Yes.”

“But she’s dead?”

Her breathing stilled, and there was a long beat before she answered again. “Has been for a while. But for that dance, however long it was, she was alive. She loved to dance. Terrible at it, but she was a child then. She would have been,” another weighted pause as she started to count, but gave up, “well, it doesn't matter. Facts are what they are. And I lost my head for a moment. It won't happen again.” There was an edge to her words that told him she was done talking about this. Again. “We soldier on, Gajeel.”

For now, he would have to leave it be, whether he wanted to or not.

The trail they followed forked in front of them, with the most direct route bringing them through Alness, and the path to the left along the forest edge before curving south again. It had been some time since he came out this way, but the way was still familiar. The less direct route would avoid the bustle of town, and still get them to their destination with little time lost.

Wordlessly, he pulled them left and continued in relative silence as thunder rumbled again and rain started to sprinkle. However, Levy was the one to speak again, voice low with warning. “Gajeel, smoke.”

The Witcher grunted, narrowing his eyes at the black wisp rising from somewhere just past the treeline. “I see it,” he replied, giving a quick nudge to the horse to bring them to a trot. All they needed to do was look busy, and keep moving. There’s a lot of trouble that can be avoided by not lingering.

But, not this trouble, it would seem.

Four men with weapons drawn emerged from the brush, and if his hearing served him right a fifth hung back out of view. Gajeel pulled back on the reins to slow down, scanning over the four of them with a look that he hoped would give them second thoughts. Subtly, he leaned forward leading with his right shoulder, where the two hilts of his swords rose up. With his eyesight, he saw one of them look at his weapons, hesitating for just a second, before moving then to the small undeniably feminine figure in the saddle behind him.

Gajeel bristled more than he expected to when they all exchanged looks, speaking unintelligibly to each other. He angled the horse in a way it would look like he intended to swing wide, and one of the smaller men took a quick step in the same direction, sealing their intentions.

Instinctive excitement bubbled in his chest at an opportunity to test his armor at last. His breathing slowed, and a predator’s calm settled over him. “Stay on the horse. Do nothing to draw attention,” he said in a low voice, angling forward to dismount.

“I can help, Gajeel, you’re outnumbered,” Levy whispered back, pulling her hood more securely over her head.

“Ain’t gonna say it again. This’ll only take a minute,” Gajeel heaved himself off the horse, landing with a heavy thud in the dirt. “Keep. Your. Cover,” he growled, not once taking his eyes off the bandits in the road. “Ride when they come at you.”

Levy didn’t have a chance to ask what he meant before the Witcher took off in a full sprint for the trees, away from the group, and several things happened at once. By the faces of the four men in the open, they were also taken entirely by surprise. One of them, wielding a mace, took only a second of hesitation before he shouted in protest, and took off in pursuit. The remaining three looked to Levy, stricken suddenly with expressions that screamed ‘opportunity.’

“Hells, Gajeel!” she hissed, scooting forward in the saddle to take hold of the reins and give a hard tug and a swift kick. The horse took off in a wide arc to put distance between her and the immediate threat and try to keep eyes on Gajeel.

But he barged, unhindered, through the underbrush, and disappeared swiftly from view. Unaware of the fifth member, it appeared to Levy that he just left the scene entirely, but despite how little they knew one another it seemed unlikely he would run from a fight.

At the same moment the man with the mace caught up to the treeline, Gajeel came back into view to meet him, dragging a small man with a bow by the face. The Witcher effortlessly lifted his captive up in front of him, ‘aiming’ him at the assailant, as an arcane blast of force launched the archer forward. Two bodies cracked together and crumpled into the dirt, but Gajeel did not stop.

Levy didn’t have the time to track what he would do next as he barrelled forward, forced to keep her attention on the men that had their sights on her. She could easily have ridden off and truly gone a safe distance, but she had no desire to be so useless, and would need to stick with evasive maneuvers while keeping close.

“That’s right sweetheart, stay right there!” one of them sneered, and she felt her skin prickle.

If I fry all three of you it won’t matter if I break my cover. Try it, ape, she thought, feeling her fingertips tingle.

The mage would find no use for her magic today, as Gajeel commanded their attention instead, with no room for indecision. “Eyes on me!” The words may have been enough, but he punctuated them with three brutal cracks of his sword fist against his chest before brandishing the black steel sword at his side. The Witcher was the embodiment of brutality, and as he rushed forward the thrill of violence surged through every vein, spurred even more by the flash of regret from the remaining three bandits.

Too late to back out now; he made it more than obvious they were dealing with a Witcher. And not just any, but Black Steel. It was time for them to get an intimate view at the craftsmanship that earned him that name.

They made a paltry attempt to ready themselves for the one-man onslaught, the bolder of the three lurching forward with a shortsword swing.

Let’s see how good your work is, Salamander, he thought, skidding to a halt as he thrust up his right forearm to take the hit. The blade clashed into the scales of his bracers, and went no further. Gajeel barked a thrilled laugh, glancing at the man from below his arm, as his free hand shot forward to unleash a blast of fire into the bandit’s face.

The agonized scream barely rose from his throat before Gajeel sidestepped around him, and with one spin he arced his steel into the two remaining men at once. In a matter of seconds, all that remained was hiss of his fire under steadier rainfall, and Gajeel was left feeling…wholly dissatisfied.

He huffed, swinging his steel to the side hard enough to throw off the majority of the blood. The sound of hoofbeats approached, and he turned to meet Levy as she came closer. He watched her sweep her eyes over him once, and he found himself straightening slightly under her scrutiny. “Having fun, are you?” she asked, crossing her arms and surveying their surroundings while trying to avoid looking at any of the bodies too long.

Gajeel flashed his teeth at her, “I would, if they were worth–”

Levy’s face twisted in panicked urgency, her eyes locking onto something beyond them, but all the warning she could manage was to shout his name.

White pain blasted from the edge of the Witcher’s vision, followed immediately by the scream of a horse.

#gajevy #gajeel x levy #fairy tail #fairy tail fanfiction #fairy tail fanfic #gajeel redfox

19 notes · View notes

une-femme-de-lettres · 2 years

Text

"You know, you always look so much better when I mark you up." + Gajeel

Requested by: Anonymous

You panted and writhed as he kept biting and licking your flesh. He had just brought you to another climax with his tongue and lips and was now taking advantage of your blissed out state to go wild between your legs. His canine teeth sank so tenderly and sweetly into your skin, making you moan in response.

You felt a deep chuckle rise from his chest as he slithered his arms around your thighs, tightening his grip to keep you nice and still for him. He pulled you ever closer to him, letting you feel all of him on you, until even the lightest of his breaths made you tremble when brushing against your sensitive skin.

He slowly moved to your core again, letting his tongue run up your folds, the tiny ball of metal on his tongue brushing against your oversensitive clit, making you shiver and gasp. Deciding he was finally done with you, he moved back.

You watched him sit up straight between your legs through heavy eyelids. He settle on his heels, a predatory smile lighting his face when he admired his work, the marks he had left all over your thighs sucking, biting and licking your flesh. You felt heat rise to your face as you shied away under his intent gaze.

“You know,” he chuckled, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and bending over to whisper in your ear, “you always look so much better when I mark you up.”

#fairy tail #gajeel x reader #gajeel redfox #fairy tail fanfiction #fairy tail gajeel #ufdl1700 #ufdlanime

283 notes · View notes

genavere · 4 months

Text

Power of the Underworld

Fandom: Fairy Tail Characters: Lucy Heartfilia, Natsu Dragneel, Zancrow, Jackal Rating: Teen + Warnings: Fighting, blood, death mentioned Summary: Mard Geer is the King of the Underworld - Alegria is his ultimate spell to bring back those who wish revenge against his current enemies. And Fairy Tail has many enemies beyond the grave... Status: Finished

This is for @phoenix-before-the-flame for the @theguildawards Gift Exchange. They gave me freedom, so this is what I came up with. Hopefully, they enjoy!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Alegria.”

Mard Geer’s voice rumbled with the Cube as the spell took form, breaking and twisting parts of the outer shell, floors crumbled inward, and entire rooms were destroyed. Each shudder of the floating fortress caused those inside to adjust their footing to stay upright. Those who couldn’t were crushed by falling debris or trapped.

Then, as a loud groan filled their ears, they realized everything had begun to plummet.

“What is going on!?” Lucy felt herself begin to rise off the floor and tried to grip the debris around her.

“Lucy!” She looked up and saw Natsu working his way towards her, the normal determined look on his face filled her with hope. “Take my hand!”

“I'm trying!”

Taking a chance, she pushed herself forward and tried to take his offered hand. Fingertips caught a single breath of each other. They pushed their bodies further, desperate to hold on.

“Just a bit more...!”

Feeling his warm skin brush against her fingers again, a frantic cry left her lips, afraid what would happen if they lost each other.

Matching her, Natsu let out a growl, fighting against the lack of gravity that threatened to force them apart. There would be no way he would allow that to happen!

Using what magic he could dredge up after the last fight, he sent a blast of magic to his feet and felt himself propel forward. Arms opened, and muscles strained hard as they wrapped around Lucy's body and held her close to his chest.

“I got you,” he whispered, feeling her arms wrap around his chest and grip the fabric of his coat. The chill of her skin against his chest reminded him of her lack of clothing and how badly she could be injured if she were hit by the falling debris around them.

A gust of pressure blasted the area around them, sending them further down the crumbling hallway. He sucked in some air and blew out a breath of fire, trying to use it to direct which way they were blown. With a hand against Lucy's head, he kept her hair and face from being burned, focused on keeping her safe.

Unfortunately, that was enough of a distraction as another wave of pressure sent them tumbling through the air. They both cried out, Natsu turning green from the motion, and as a loud rumble of the fortress slamming into the ground filled their ears, they felt themselves collide with something and darkness took over.

#####

Lucy woke gasping—the air caught in her throat and her already burning lungs ached with every cough that tore through her chest. There was no water around to calm her irritated throat, and the dust in her mouth caked the saliva that she tried to produce.

Dry heaves took over, tightening her empty stomach and threatened to expel the organ each time one took over. Burps and ugly sobs filled the night air, and she wondered between gasps just how she had managed to escape to the outside.

When she managed to finally get a decent amount of air into her lungs without setting off another round of coughing or heaving, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and grimaced at the blood that mixed in with the spittle.

There had been none in the mess she threw up, that she knew, but seeing the blood made sense why her head hurt. With no mirror or water to visually check herself, she patted herself down for any sign of damage. Touching the spot that ached on her forehead sent a jolt of pain through her entire body. It reminded her of the Thunder Palace’s jolt she took when she first joined Fairy Tail.

The rest of her body seemed to be okay besides a few cuts and bruises. If they survived, a hot bath loaded with epson salt and a few potions would be the best cure she had for all the aches she'd have.

Wiping what blood stained her face as best as she could by only feeling it, she flung it off to the ground and wiped her hands on the back of her skirt. Good thing it was a dark color, or any guild members she ran across might think the worst.

A frown pulled at her lips.

Natsu had been with her before, when they had been in the halls of the large cube that housed the Tartarus guild. Glancing around, she saw nothing but destruction, and not the kind she normally saw with him.

“Natsu?” she called, pushing herself up to her knees. Rocks and pieces of what used to be the large cube bit into her skin. Listening to her surroundings, only wind and the occasional debris falling under the weight of gravity answered her.

“Natsu?” she called again, louder and with urgency. Standing, she stumbled a bit, looking through the area for any sign of her teammate.

The last she remembered was being in his arms as they flew through the air. Whatever had happened started after that weird spell name Mard Geer said. Alegria, she recalled, trying to recall if she had ever heard of it before in either passing or in the books she had read.

Nothing really came to mind, but thinking too hard about it brought about more pulses of pain through her head. When they got out of it, she would look it up...maybe.

No other sounds than she heard before came about. It made her wonder if she were the only person left in the whole world. A silly thought, really, but one that stuck.

“There are others around,” she told herself, speaking to the wind. “And I am never alone with my spirits by my side.” Feeling their warmth calmed her down a little.

Everyone else was fine, probably beaten up and bruised like her, and waking up to find where they had been fighting nothing but rubble. Natsu would appear out of nowhere, like he was prone to do. A large smile would be on his irritatingly handsome face and he'd hit the battle off with an “I'm all fired up,” line.

Wait—every nerve in her body lit up like warning bells. What battle? There was no battle going on.

“Lookie what we found.”

The power of her keys hummed in urgency against her hip, reacting to the panic she felt setting in her gut. Looking over her shoulder, her eyes grew in disbelief. “That's...not possible!”

Jackal laughed, throwing his head back, and smacked his companion on the shoulder. Next to him, golden hair wild as if struck by lightning, grinned down at her and raised his arms out.

“Surprised to see me, girlie?” Zancrow's maniacal laughter joined Jackal's, black flames gathered around him. “A little payback to show you what a demonized God Slayer can do to you Fairy Flies!”

#####

“Argh, dammit!” Gajeel pushed the wall of debris off him and growled. “What are those bastards thinkin’ crashing their own base?” A coat of dust turned his dark skin grey and even as he tried to wipe it off, the mixture with his sweat only made it smear. Unable to stand the feel on his skin, he tore his headband off and wiped his face with it. Before he tossed the soiled cloth to the ground, he used it to blow the crud out of his nose and took a whiff of the air.

“Can’t get a hint of anything with this shit in my nose still,” he swore, gritting his teeth in aggravation and tasting the dust coating the inside of his mouth. Spitting what he could gather out, he looked around for water or something to clean things up but found nothing but piles of rubble and destruction. “They can’t blame us for this, this time.”

Left with limited options, he closed his eyes and focused on what he could hear around him.

A chilling silence hung in the air with the odd rock or bit shifting and falling to the ground as the ruins settled. Beyond that, voices of those who were trapped under the piles began to struggle for breath and call out for help. He ignored them if they weren’t anyone he recognized. The enemy soldiers could suffocate for all he cared.

Sounds of voices he finally did recognize came from afar—too far for him to understand what they were saying, but he could get the gist of it. Their guildmates were helping each other and regrouping. He should move to find Levy, Lily, and the others, but something else caught his attention, something he did not need to focus on to hear.

Spinning around, he threw out a punch as the footsteps rushed at him. Skin broke on both fists that collided with each other, and dark eyes of both dragon slayers glared at the other.

“Watch where you’re going, you fire-eating freak!” Gajeel bit out, gnashing his teeth at the other.

“Like you’re one to talk, bolts for brains!” Natsu growled back, ready to start a fight with the other. “Why are you just standing around? We need to find Lucy and the others!”

“Bunny girl?” He thought over what he had heard before Natsu came running at him. “I didn’t hear anythin’ from her when I listened.”

They stepped back from the other, Natsu shaking the blood from his knuckles and Gajeel doing the same after realizing the grey dirt covered his hands, too. Then he looked over the other dragon slayer. “How’d the hell you stay clean through all that?”

“I didn’t,” Natsu answered, sniffing the air around them. “I couldn’t smell with all that dust, so I burned it all.”

“Must be nice. I’d give ‘bout anything for Juvia’s rain right now.” They stood by each other, using their senses to try to find their guildmate. “Was there anything back the way you came?”

Natsu shook his head, deciding to start running in a direction away from where he had been. “Only Gray. Guess one of the demon guys is his ol’ man, so they were talkin’.”

“You serious?”

“That’s what they said,” he said and shrugged. “I wasn’t gonna stop them.”

Gajeel could understand that. Both of them would be thrilled at the off-chance of finding their own adopted fathers and being able to catch up with them—after yelling at them for disappearing. Whatever their reasons, it didn’t excuse them from leaving children to fend for themselves in the world.

A bite of jealousy for the Ice Mage crept up, but it was quickly shoved down. A battlefield was not the time or place to deal with such thoughts or emotions. Not when their guildmates were fighting for their lives still, and they had no idea what new dangers the Alegria spell brought.

“Where’d you see Lucy last?”

“After that weird spell,” Natsu halted, sniffing the air and frowned. “Wait…That can’t be right.”

“You don’t remember? Salamander, I am about to—” He began pushing up his sleeves, ready to pound the shorter dragon slayer into the ground for not remembering crucial information about the blonde. So much for being her teammate.

“No, I remember,” he growled, looking around. “This smell…it’s the same as one of those guys from Tenrou.”

“Are you serious?” Most of those wizards they had fought all those years ago had died on the island or managed to escape with Hades. The idea that they were here meant they were taking advantage of Fairy Tail’s weakness and striking when they were down.

Natsu nodded, trying to catch the scent again. Just then, as a breeze washed over them, the stinging scent of smoke caught their attention and large bursts of light appeared over the mountainous landscape of debris.

“That’s Loke’s magic,” Gajeel shouted, knowing that magic anywhere after facing off against it.

“That’s where Lucy hasta be!”

“Hey! Wait, Salamander!” He took after the other slayer, grumbling under his breath. “If you lead us into a trap, I will personally make your life hell!”

#####

Lucy cried out as her body tumbled over sharp rocks and piles of debris from a cloud of smoke. Balls of light grew around where she landed, ready to explode in a split second before she could even get her arms under her.

Everything shook around them as the orbs exploded, tearing into the destroyed area even more and sending the two flying off again. Manic laughter followed after her as Zancrow and Jackal emerged from the smoke, grins wide on both of their faces.

“That was great!” Zancrow hollered with his head thrown back and gave Jackal a high-five. “I think your explosions knocked that kitty cat right back to the pound!”

“You’re not too bad, yourself.” Jackal grinned, staring at the blonde as she struggled to push herself up. “All tuckered already? Thought you’d actually put up a fight.”

Lucy grunted against the burns and pain wrecking her entire body. Her whip lay useless elsewhere, used as a conduit for Jackal’s explosions, and Loki had taken a substantial hit for her earlier, but she could feel her magic still ebbing away. That meant he had to still be there, but he would need help.

Taurus and Aries were out of the question after what they experienced earlier. Virgo might be a good choice, she thought, then immediately dismissed it. The spirit would be limited in what she could do like Loke since they couldn’t get close to them. Not without erupting in either flames or destructive explosions.

“Wanna make a bet?” She heard Zancrow's higher pitch voice coming closer and glanced through her ragged hair at the two demons. They walked side by side with each other, like the best of friends. How she would walk with her own friends, her team...and Natsu.

Tears burned her eyes. Rocks bit into the flesh of her fists. Were her friends even still alive? Surviving a crash like that without being trapped or seriously injured would be unlikely. She managed to come out mostly unscathed, severe bruises and aching joints, but mobile. If others had been as lucky, could they be fighting off against their enemies?

Something was off about the former Grimoire Heart member, she noted. There were intricate tattoos wrapped over his exposed arm and swirled around his pectorals, ending at his nipple. Whenever Wendy or Natsu described him, they never mentioned tattoos. Though, they had mentioned his strangely spiraled eyes, she couldn't remember if they mentioned them glowed red, either.

The closer they got, the less of a chance she had to fight. Another attack like before would knock her out of the fight completely, and if that happened, there was no knowing what they would do to her then. No, she had to keep fighting and find her friends!

“Open, Gate of the Archer! Sagittarius!” The golden key turned with a twist of her wrist and a bright light blinded her at the appearance of her strangely clad spirit.

“Howdy do, you called?” Sagittarius asked, saluting as he stared into space.

“I need you to keep those two at bay while I try to figure out a plan,” she ordered, pointing at the laughing demons.

“Right! Can do!” He equipped his bow and began shooting at them as he backed up with Lucy limping beside him. Both knew his arrows would do little to dissuade them from attacking, but a little extra damage and time never hurt when nursing wounds.

“If I can find the others,” Lucy mumbled, feeling the drain on her body and magic reserves. “They have to be alive...”

Alive or not, wherever the rest of Fairy Tail was, it was not there, and she faced an enemy alone with only her spirits beside her. But not for long, she knew. Only Loke could summon himself without her magic, but she had already opened his gate, and he pulled at her reserves, which meant he still lingers somewhere on the battlefield.

Could she summon a third spirit?

A weariness sagged her shoulders, her legs trembling and threatening to collapse, the thought of when she had last rested or had something to eat still lingering in her mind. A specific date or time wouldn't come to her, or even if she had spent it at home or somewhere else. If Natsu and Happy had been there, crashing her apartment like they did several nights out of the week, nothing came forward of those memories.

Her eyesight blurred and her brows furrowed. Had she hit her head during the crash, she wondered. It would make sense, but the fact she felt stretched beyond her capabilities suggested a different outcome. A different explanation.

“Miss Lucy!”

Air wheezed out of her lungs quickly, a mass of weight crashed into her from the side and heat scorched the ground around them. Startled, she glanced around, realizing she had allowed herself to zone out while in a life-or-death battle!

Berating herself would come later--that is, if she survived. The thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Glancing at where the demons had been, the sight brought a chill to her soul. Hand in hand, Loke wrestled for dominance over Zancrow, their fingers interlocked and squeezing to add another level of torment to the other. The demonized God Slayer laughed, crazed eyes nearly circles at their size, and slammed his forehead into Loke's.

Where she had been was a blackened scorch mark on the stone floor—what had been the bottom of the cube, she realized then. Those who had been fighting at the bottom of the cube...her spirits who suffered as they fought alongside her...Shimmers caught her attention and she realized then who had collided with her.

“Sagittarius!” She cried out, seeing the pain in his eyes.

“Forgive me, Miss Lucy. My battle ends here...” The archer spirit completely dissolved into the light of the stars, going back to the celestial realm to recover from his injuries.

Her breath caught.

A cry from Loke caught her attention, “Loke!”

His entire body had been engulfed in black flames, burning him as his body shimmered brightly and began to disappear. Their eyes met for a brief moment through his blue-tinted glasses, “I'm sorry...We failed.”

Tears blurred her vision in frustration and pain. She had meant to think of a plan to fight or to escape, not get distracted by her own inability to focus. Because of her, Sagittarius and Loke had both been hurt, and the situation only grew worse.

“I win!” Jackal declared, hand on his hip in triumph. “Said I could get her on my explosive trap without realizing.”

“That doesn’t count,” Zancrow argued, gesturing wildly towards her now that his hands were free. “She might have stepped in it, but that weird horse guy took all the damage. I call for a new bet!”

“And what would you want to make a new bet on?”

A cold chill ran through Lucy. Think, she told herself, trying hard to figure out a way to escape. If she pulled out Virgo, it was possible they could escape through tunnels, or they could set up a trap to lure the demons in.

The only other spirit she felt she could call on was Aquarius, but there was no water—she blinked the tears from her eyes and swallowed as laughter caught her attention.

Like old pals, Zancrow and Jackal were sharing a secret handshake and grinning like evil fools. “That sounds like fun,” Jackal laughed, finishing the hand motions with a fist bump. “What's the winner get?”

“How should I know, I just came back here after hearing the call,” Zancrow shrugged. “I wouldn't mind finishing off the pesky fly, but if she dies during the bet, I call the next one!”

“Who says you will even win?”

“Who says you will?”

“Wanna bet who will win?” Jackal stepped forward, lifting a fist.

“That's exactly what we are already doing!” Zancrow mimicked him, both glaring at the other. A tense moment ticked by and then they were laughing again, smacking the other on the back. “This is gonna be fun!”

“Come here, girlie!”

“—Open gate of the Maiden! Virgo!” Lucy cried, holding the golden key out. Immediately, the pink-haired spirit dove forward and disappeared into the ground, tunneling around. Both of the demons looked around them in shock, trying to figure out where the spirit would come out from.

They learned soon enough as the ground shifted and broke inward, sending them tumbling down into a large crater that no longer supported the top surface of the ruins. Virgo came up from the original hole she created, glaring at the demons.

“Princess, Big Brother told me the situation,” she said, keeping her place between the enemy and Lucy. “I can keep them at bay while you make a run for—”

“No!” Lucy pushed herself up, pulling out another key from her pouch. Running it over her tear-stained face, she glared down at the men below. “I won't run and leave you!”

“But Princess--!”

Throwing her arm back, Lucy willed all the remaining magic power into the key, “Open, gate of the Water Bearer! Aquarius!” With a twist of her wrist, light flared around them, blinding anyone around. Her legs wobbled, barely able to hold her own weight up, yet she stumbled forward in determination. There would be a victor in this battle, and she--

“You idiotic little brat!”

Blinking, she stared behind her as the light faded and felt a hand connect with her cheek. Aquarius' face, twisted in anger, sent her entire body into flight mode, and she nearly took off running if the spirit's arms hadn't captured her and wrapped her in a tight hug.

“I can't do anything to help you without water around, but I can grant you this from the Spirit King.” A soft kiss pressed against Lucy's forehead and a swell of energy filled her. Around them, water formed a sphere of protection and her body glowed as new clothes replaced her old ones. The final piece came as the mermaid touched her collarbone and a similar tattoo marked her skin.

“You better be grateful,” Aquarius bit out, glowing as she closed her own gate to go back. “You brat.”

Feeling the energy coursing through her veins, the power tingling at her fingertips, she turned to see Virgo staring in awe at her. Realization came then what she had been gifted—Aquarius had given her part of her magic to use. A stardress, a voice echoed in her mind from her keys. The power of the stars had been gifted to her in her greatest time and she would not waste it.

“Virgo!”

“Yes, Princess!” The maiden dove back into the hole she created and giant rocks began breaking from the sides of the giant hole the demons were caught in. They rolled down towards the middle, forcing them to dance out of the way to avoid being crushed.

“You think this will stop us,” Jackal growled and explosions sent chunks of stone flying in every direction. Black flames flew up and wrapped around the water shield that protected Lucy as she put her hands together and focused on the power Aquarius gifted her.

“Survey the Heavens, Open the Heavens...” Her eyes closed, letting the magic flow through and around her. All the distractions around her and the explosions faded into the background as the words of the spell came forward. “All the stars, far and wide, show me thy appearance with such shine.”

Below her, the ground rumbled and began to become unstable from the amount of stones Virgo threw at the demons in distraction. The water shield around her kept her safe from the heat that tried to burn her, but she could feel the surface boiling—could feel it draining her power to maintain.

“Oh Tetrabiblos, I am the ruler of the stars—”

“Enough!”

A large explosion sent the earth beneath her heaving into the air and she felt Virgo's gate close. Stumbling back, her concentration on the spell crumpled and she managed to open her eyes just in time to see Zancrow appear out of a fume of smoke and fire heading right for her. Black fire consumed his fists, and rage filled his glowing swirled eyes. “You bitch!”

Lucy raised her arms to block the blow the best she could even knowing that it would hurt no matter what she did. Stories of those dark flames had been something Natsu had told her on many sleepless nights camping under the stars... “Natsu!”

“Back off!” A familiar voice cried out as iron collided with the crazed Demon God Slayer's face and sent him flying across the ground of rubble. Lucy winced as his body collided with a large pillar sticking up from the ground and slumped over. The way he laid, she didn’t even know if he was dead or alive, but what concerned her was who had sent him flying.

Lowering her arms, she looked up until she caught sight of Gajeel’s dirty, sweat streaked face panting as he stared down the once deceased God Slayer before turning to Lucy, red eyes glaring. “Have you no self-preservation, Bunny Girl?!”

She blinked at him. “Ex-cuse me?” Leaning up into him, she poked his dusty chest and glared at him. “Thank you for saving me, but I had been managing two demons by myself until you showed up!”

“Hey, I just saved yer ass—”

“And I said thank you, but you coming in acting like the hero and then yelling at me when I have been doing my damndest to stay alive is not helpful or wanted!” She shoved her finger into his chest again, feeling hot tears running down her cheeks. Anger and relief mixed together knowing that she wasn’t alone anymore, that the weight of the fight didn’t land on her shoulders and magic reserves.

Pressing the heels of her hands against her eyes, a sob broke through her resolve and she wrapped her arms around Gajeel’s chest, not caring about the dust, grime, or sweat on him. “Thank you.”

“Ah, geez…” He laid a hand on her hand, patting it gently as he rubbed the back of his head with the other. Glancing over to the crater, he frowned at the smoke and dust that hid the scene below. “We better back away, this might get ugly.”

“W-what do you mean?” She began to pull away to look—arms pulled her against Gajeel’s chest again, the ground shook below them and an explosion sent them forward onto the ground. Smoke and ash consumed the sky and the air around them, making it difficult to get even a gasp of breath. Ringing filled her ears, taking away yet another one of her senses and leaving her grasping around the ground.

As the air cleared and ringing faded, another sound sent a soundwave blasting over them and Lucy’s muted scream added nothing to it. Covering her ears, she barely registered when arms picked her up and carried her away from the crater just before another explosion sent more wreckage flying at them.

“What’s happening!?” She screamed over the noise, looking for the cause of the noise.

Beside her, Gajeel also had his hands over his ears looking pissed. “Dammit, Salamander! What are you doing—ah shit!”

Dark flames shot towards them through the smog. He raised his arm to try to block it, but a wall of water consumed it in a burst of steam seconds before it hit them. Lucy held her hand out, panting and coughing, but glad she had managed to catch it before it hurt either of them. Unfortunately, what the water couldn’t stop was Natsu appearing just before toppling into the three of them. The three of them groaned, piled together with Natsu over both Gajeel and Lucy.

“Dammit, get off, flame brain!”

“Why does this always happen to me…”

Natsu clamored off of his guildmates and wiped the blood from his mouth. “Gah, sorry guys. Didn’t expect ‘im to go all monster sized.” With groans, the other two stood up and moved to stand on either side of him, neither looking their best.

Through the thick of the smoke, two shadows emerged together. One stood almost three times taller than the other and one had both hands engulfed in dark flames. As the smoke cleared from them, Zancrow threw his head and shoulders back to let out loud pearls of laughter. “Didn’t expect to see me again, did ya! New and improved, a Demon God Slayer!”

“Wait…wasn’t this the guy that messed up my scarf and hurt Gramps on Tenrou?” He looked at Lucy with a frown.

“Yeah,” she answered with a nod. “From what you told me of him, he fits the description.”

“I thought he died!”

“Alegria is the ultimate spell of the King of the Underworld,” Jackal’s guttural rumble drew their attention to the beast. “Those with a strong enough desire for revenge for Mard Geer’s current enemies come back from the dead in demonic forms!”

Sharp claws dug into the stone below him as he took a step towards them. “All of you must be one of the most hated guilds with our base collapsing like that. The number of enemies back from the grave to tear you to pieces will be a blast to see!”

“Did he just…” Gajeel couldn’t finish that sentence. The reality of the situation bleak if the demon told the truth.

“All our enemies are back?” Lucy felt a chill run through her entire body, memories of all their previous fights coming back as she thought of how close some of them had been to failure. If their enemies were stronger now, would they be able to make it out alive this time?

Natsu stepped forward and thrust his hand into his fist, “So what if you brought all of them back! Even if they got stronger, so have we.” He glanced at Lucy and grinned. “Sounds like a fun time to me.”

“Natsu…”

Zancrow laughed again. “You’ve hardly been able to take on Tartaros’ demons as they are, yet you expect to take on so many others?” Black flames fluttered and grew into a large fireball. Red lightning crackled around the outsides of it, and he chucked it, growling, “Don’t make me laugh!”

Lightning and flames swirled around Natsu’s arms and he stepped forward to knock the fireball out of his way easily. “You might not understand this, but don’t expect to be able to take on all of them. No, I expect to be able to fall back on my friends when I need to for their support.”

“Heh,” Gajeel rolled his eyes, “count me out.”

“So, Lucy,” he kept his eyes on the two demons, but she knew he was listening to her closely, “what’s the plan?”

Plan?

Looking over the area trying to think of how they could best use their environment, she frowned and pressed a curled finger against her lips. “Before either of you came, I had been attempting a Urano Metria, but they interrupted me. If you two would be able to distract them, I am pretty sure I could take out at least one of them.”

“Then we’d only have the other to take care of.”

“All right! Now I’m all fired up!” He slammed his knuckles together, sending an eruption of flames over his fists. “Let’s go, Gajeel!”

“Don’t you two even think about it,” Zancrow said, swirling his dark flames tighter around himself and erupted his own fists on fire. “The only way any of you manage to get away is by explosion!”

Jackal bounded by the God Slayer, claws spread wide to swipe at the two dragon slayers. Black, jagged blades split through Gajeel’s forearms—matching close to his skin as camouflage—and caught the claws before a breath of red fire engulfed the beast and grazed the other demon.

Fires of black and red, explosions, and sections of the earth being sliced apart filled the space as the four men ran down their blows and traded spells. Lucy watched it from further away, but it was horrifying. Fighting would always be a last resort for her when she could, and unfortunately, now was not that time.

Spreading her arms wide, she closed her eyes and focused on the magic power deep inside, the last bit of energy she had to spare. The fighting dulled away to a quiet beat she used to focus her breathing and formulate the correct amount of power into each word. “Survey the Heavens, open the Heavens, all the stars, far and wide. Show me thy appearance with such shine.”

A heavenly light spread around her, shining a beacon in her direction. Those all around would see the clouds above part, the stars shimmer and spin, and the planets moving to align. Enough power had been pushed into the words this time. She trusted her friends to keep her safe as the spell was prepared.

Natsu slid across the ground, balancing well enough to stay on his feet and take off again to land several punches against Jackal. Each strike brought a glow of light that would grow and explode the area around him. Each explosion, another jab of pain and sheer determination to absorb the flames and heat through his skin for energy.

“Is that all you got?” He threw himself back, avoiding a swipe of claws. Throwing his body forward once the danger passed, he threw himself up toward Jackal’s face. “Fire Dragon’s Iron Fist!”

Dark flames circled around Gajeel’s arms and blasted up into his face, knocking him back along the ground. Growling, several kunai materialized in his hands and he threw them with deadly accuracy. Each one flew off harmlessly as Zancrow twirled his dark flame scythe in front of him.

At the last kunai, the crazed blond lunged forward, ready to slice Gajeel’s head clean from his shoulders, but for a large man, the Iron Dragon Slayer easily dodged out of the way, quick on his feet as his scaled fist slammed into the other’s face.

When the sky opened to reveal the night sky above, both he and Natsu jumped back, their shoulders pressed together.

“Ready, Lug Nut?”

“Heaven then Hell,” Gajeel chuckled, “seems too poetic for these losers.”

Behind them, Lucy’s final part of the incantation echoed over the landscape. Her body glowing in the heavenly light of the stars. “Oh Tetrabiblos, I am the ruler of the stars, aspect become complete, open thy malevolent gate. Oh 88 Stars of the heaven...” Her eyes shimmered and snapped open as the planets above came raining downward. “Shine! Urano Metria!”

Both demons stared in awe and disbelief as eighty-eight celestial bodies flew towards them in a bid to end their lives. Zancrow jumped to his feet, determined to survive. “I just came back! I won’t die so easily!”

But to both of their horrors, iron shackles gripped their feet and limbs, keeping them locked to the ground. When they looked at the dragon slayers, they shuddered at the grins on both of their faces that seemed to twist and morph into snarling maws of dragons.

From above, the planets hurled into the earth where they stood. Their bodies pelted by the force and weight of each mid-size planet. Screams of pain ripped through their throats, but the true horror of the attack stemmed from below.

As Lucy directed each of the 88 heavenly bodies down on their foes, Natsu and Gajeel utilized the distraction and punched the ground together. “Molten Iron Earthen Eruption!”

A new sound filled their ears, the ground began to heave and glow until large jagged pieces of iron began piercing upward with pillars of flames. Heat shimmered in the air; the ground became impossible to traverse.

Jackal swiped at the sharp spikes that tried to impale him, swearing loudly at each cut, gouge, and burn. “I will not fall so easily! You pathetic wizards are mere parasites beneath demons!” He summoned a large glow to his fists and set off a massive explosion.

Moments before the explosion, Zancrow stood inhaling the flames around him, laughing when he had taken in a stomach’s worth. “Have you forgotten who you are up against? I am stronger than I had been on Tenrou!” Arms stretched wide, the explosion wrapped around his silhouette and filled the sent broken iron, flames, and stone soaring through the air.

Still standing in front of Lucy, Natsu and Gajeel each took in a breath to try to counter the blast with their own breath attacks when two large walls of ice curved over them—one pink and the other blue. Serrated iron stuck into the ice and the explosion caused the whole area around them to shift downward. The land no longer able to support everything it had endured after Virgo had carved the tunnels through it.

Another range of pink ice lined the ground as it collapsed, keeping them safe and on even ground. “Sorry we’re late,” Silver apologized as he strolled up with Gray next to him. Both looking different with genuine smiles on their faces. “Needed to have a little father/son bonding time.”

“’Bout time you two showed up,” Gajeel griped with his arms crossed.

Natsu went over to Lucy and helped her stand as she looked at the completely transformed area. Dark clouds covered the battlefield beyond the area of ice and kept the fate of their enemies hidden.

Gripping his hand tightly, Lucy glanced up at him, her lower lip worried. “Is it over?”

Looking at Silver briefly, Natsu nodded, not willing to tell her of the blood he smelled coming from the two, or the sounds he could hear from their still bodies. The smoke hid their gruesome deaths from flying projectiles, fire, and iron and ice stakes that drove the final blows home.

“Yeah,” he answered, giving her a reassuring smile, “this one is, but if we got more enemies coming, I can’t wait to show them what Fairy Tail has in store for them now that we’re stronger!” Squeezing her hand, he dragged her to the others and pushed her attention towards Silver and Gray and away from who they had been fighting against.

Eyes narrowed, he sniffed the air once, catching an extremely faint scent somewhere in the miles of wreckage of the two again—somewhere they would be brought back to life and ready to fight. A constant circle the demons could afford, but Fairy Tail couldn’t.

It would be their next area to go, he decided, sharing a nod with Gajeel, and they would take them out once and for all.

Fin

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This story kinda got away from me, but I had to get it out and done. Lots of fighting in this, but I don't mind that. It's a different form of angst to throw into the fandom. Thank you @teleiapotami and Libra for doing your speedy readings of it to ensure no influencers were consumed in the making of this story!

#fairy tail #natsu dragneel #lucy heartfilia #writing #fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #The Guild Awards #gift exchange #Zancrow #Jackal (Fairy Tail)#gajeel redfox #Really I don't know where this came from #But I wanted it all #Every bit of it to be finished

11 notes · View notes

anitalenia · 10 months

Text

━━ gajeel redfox fics ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅

⊹˙⋆ 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑎𝑗𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑓𝑜𝑥 𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑠. 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑖𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑖𝑟𝑜𝑛 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑔𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟 ⋆˙⊹ drabbles ˖⁺.꒷꒦♡꒷꒦˖⁺. series

✧˚. VISIT MY OTHER PAGES↷ ˊ- taglist | anime masterlist | masterlist | time stamps | the great library

INCOMING MAIL ◛⑅·˚ ༘ ♡ any fics or series that do not have a link are a work in progress / upcoming. I am just putting the fic descriptions on there ahead of time so I don’t have to do it later.

'*•.¸♡ UPCOMING FICS / WIP ★ none yet…

'*•.¸♡ UPCOMING SERIES ★ none yet…

KEY — s ( smut ) f ( fluff ) a ( angst ) d ( dark content )

── ⋅⋅⋅ ────꒰ ୨ ♡ ୧ ꒱───────

none yet…

#fairy tail #fairy tail gajeel #gajeel redfox #gajeel redfox fanfiction #gajeel redfox x reader #gajeel redfox fic #gajeel redfox imagine #gajeel x reader #gajeel redfox fanfic

12 notes · View notes

harlistar · 1 month

Text

dragon slayer pack 1.0

official artwork for AO3 Fairytail Fic: “The Key(s) to Victory” by riddlercj

#fanart #fairy tail #natsu dragneel #gajeel redfox #dragon slayers #ao3 fanfic #ao3 link #fairy tail fanart #fairy tail fanfiction

17 notes · View notes

dean-samw67 · 2 years

Text

Gajeel Redfox NSFW Alphabet

WARNINGS: NSFW, SEMI-SMUT

I needed some more Gajeel content because I am so in love with this man it could probably be a crime.

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex)

He is a rough on the outside type of guy but when you two have finished up he would definitely run you a bath or share a shower with you where he will help you clean up before taking you to bed and cuddling with you up on his chest

B = Body Part (Their favorite body part of theirs and also their partners)

On him: He loves his lips and using them on you in every possible way. He also loves his hands because he can caress you to his heart's content.

On you: Everything. Can’t convince me that Gajeel doesn’t adore every part of you and worship your body

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum, basically)

Man definitely has a breeding kink so he likes it best when it is inside you

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He absolutely goes feral over seeing you covered in marks he caused

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

He may have had quick hookups in the past but he will need to take the time to learn what you like

F = Favorite Position (This goes without saying)

Literally anything. As long as both of you are feeling good he has no preference

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment? Are they humorous? etc.)

I don’t think you will catch this man laughing durning sex but he probably will make some jokes with you afterwards

H = Hair (How well-groomed are they? Does the carpet match the drapes? etc.)

He keeps it well groomed down there, doesn’t shave it all the way down but keeps it trimmed

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment? The romantic aspect.)

If you and him are together he can be pretty intimate. Kissing, caressing, holding you close, eye contact.

J = Jack off (Masturbation Headcanon)

I feel like the dragon slayers can be more horny than normal so he definitely jerks off when he is feeling pent up and you aren’t there

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Blindfolding, bondage, choking, basically he likes rough sex

L = Location (Favorite places to do the do)

He will do it pretty much anywhere you are comfortable with but please pull him into a closet and suck him off. He will get off so hard to the thought of someone catching you guys and knowing you are his.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Tease him. Wear a short skirt or dress, thigh highs with heels, bend over a table or the bar at the guild. He will take you home and wreck you.

N = No (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

He is a pretty open guy. But anything to do with bodily fluids is a no for him.

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)

I think he may prefer receiving. He loves seeing you suck him off. But he will never turn up a chance to give you oral

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

He can be slow but still rough. He likes rough and dirty sex

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)

He will not turn down the opportunity

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment? Do they take risks? etc.)

Really just depends on what the risks are

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for? How long do they last?)

I feel like he would tired you out because, man, can he last and he can go multiple rounds, with small breaks in between though.

T = Toys (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

He’s up to experiment, take that as you will.

U = Unfair (How much they like to tease)

He’s a teaser for sure but will make sure you get what you ask for, if you ask nice enough

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)

Depends on where you are. If you are in a private area he will make all the noise his throat will let him because he wants you to know what you do to him. If you are having a quickie in a storage closet at the guild or something he will keep it more quiet, maybe a small grunt or groan here or there.

W = Wild Card (A random headcanon for the character)

He loves doing sexy costumes with you on Halloween, he loves it even more when you get to take those costumes off, maybe you even roleplay a bit while in costume (Maybe I’ll write a smutty fic for this ;))

X = X-ray (Let’s see what’s going on under those clothes)

This man is pretty big in general, so I think it’s fair to say he’s above average in his pants. Not by much. Maybe between 7 ½ - 8 ½ inches with a nice amount of girth

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

Really it just depends on the day. I feel like he’s got a week out of every month where he is just unbelievably horny. (It’s like he has a cycle LMAO)

Z = Zzz (How quickly they fall asleep afterward)

Once he is sure you are cleaned up and comfortable he will be out pretty quick, but seeing how he can probably wear a person out you probably are too.

Masterlist

224 notes · View notes

gruviasilversblog · 2 months

Text

Flowers-English Version - Chapter 3 - GruviaSilver - Fairy Tail [Archive of Our Own]

Hello everyone!

Here I leave you the second chapter of Flowers in AO3 too.

I hope you enjoy it. Thank you very much to those who read and review.

Thank you to @sorceress-botan for translate It.

GruviaSilver 🤎

#fairy tail #juvia lockser #gray fullbuster #gruvia #gajeel redfox #my fic #fanfic #gajuvia brotp #fairy tail fanfiction #phantomlord #lyonvastia #lyvia #love triangle #ao3 author #ao3fic #ao3 writer #ao3 link

9 notes · View notes

classysassy9791 · 1 year

Text

“When you’re ready.” - artwork by me (do not repost)

When a job goes terribly wrong, the Fairy Tail guild is left to pick up the pieces. Mourning the deaths of their guildmates, Lucy can't seem to find the strength to move forward. But she comes to realize one person understands. His madness was her mercy, and she finally began to hope that maybe he could make her heart beat again.

Fandom: Fairy Tail Genre: Adventure/Tragedy Warning: Character Death(s)

Ch. 1 l Ch. 2 l Ch. 3 l Ch. 4 l Ch. 5 l Ch. 6

Chapter 7 Word Count: 5400 Can also be found on AO3 and FFN @ft-reboost

“Levy?” Cana shook her head, her glassy eyes turning back to the barrel she had been clutching since she strolled into the guild just after dawn. “I haven’t seen her all day. I didn’t see her come back to Fairy Hills last night either.”

Gajeel leaned against the bar, steely eyes peering over the expanse of the guildhall. Only a week had passed since the news of Titania and Salamander’s deaths, along with that silly blue cat of his. Things were far from normal at the Fairy Tail guild, but slowly people were beginning to show up for meal times and try to make conversation.

Some people, like Gray and Lucy, hadn’t been seen since the funeral. Gajeel hadn’t been too concerned about them - they had lost their teammates after all - but Levy had always been present. So, it bothered him that she had suddenly disappeared.

Cana shrugged. “She’s been reading books pretty avidly lately, more so than usual anyways. Maybe check out the library?”

Gajeel grumbled a ‘thanks' before pushing off the bar and finding his way to the Fairy Tail library housed beneath the guild. He had never stepped foot inside the book repository. He never had a need to. So it took him a while to search through the maze of shelves.

He found Levy near the back of the library sitting on the floor with a dozen books spread around her. She sat with her knees tucked beneath her, wind-reader glasses resting on the bridge of her nose, and hair pulled back by a headband. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but with Gajeel’s sharpened sight, he could see the bags forming under her eyes. She wasn’t destroyed, but she was getting there.

“Hey, Shrimp,” he called out to grab her attention.

Her brown eyes continued to quickly shift over the words on the page, completely zoned in on whatever had captured her attention.

He crouched down, leaning his arms against his thighs. “Levy.”

She startled, shooting her tired gaze to his. When she realized who he was, she relaxed, a breath of relief passing her lips. “Gajeel. What are you doing down here?”

“Came lookin’ for ya. Cana said she didn’t see you come home last night.”

“Yeah, I was out late and I left pretty early this morning. Wanted to get some reading done.” She marked the page in her book and slipped off her glasses, rubbing her thumb and forefinger over tired eyes. Wisps of stray blue hair framed her face as she smiled up at him.

He watched her carefully, taking note of how lifeless her peppy personality had become. “Your smile isn’t as bright as it used to be,” he off-handedly commented.

Pink dusted her cheeks. “O-Oh, is it now?” She chuckled nervously before shrugging and tilting her head. “Just give me a little while to be said. Someday soon, I promise to come back brighter than ever!” She pumped her fist in the air to emphasize her words.

Nothing could ever scare Gajeel more than the look in her eyes right then - that false bravado, the courageous face she was putting on. But her eyes told it all. Levy was slowly dying inside from the grief, and it terrified him.

The iron-dragon slayer cleared his throat, glancing over the mountain of books she had surrounded herself with. Majority of them were in languages he couldn’t name, but the ones he could make out had the words ‘demons’ and ‘purgatory’ in them. “Uh, what’re you reading about?”

“Well,” she started sheepishly, poking her index fingers together and peering up at him with a hesitant expression - almost like a child waiting to be scolded. He raised a brow, prompting her to continue. “I, uh, I’m researching the demons that attacked Team Natsu.”

He narrowed his eyes. “You serious? Those demons are long gone.” He scoffed and stood up. “Whoever did this will still be out there after we get our feet back under us.”

Pursing her lips, Levy climbed to her feet beside him and shook her head. “I know that,” she murmured, clasping her hands in front of her and looking up at him with determination. “But if I stopped, if I gave up for now, I wouldn’t have anything left driving me forward and grief would consume me.” She released a shuddering breath, her eyes misty as she glanced away. “I-I can’t fix anyone’s pain. I can’t bring Natsu, Erza, or Happy back. I can’t piece together whatever happiness we have left. But this…” She turned and gestured to the towers of books. “Finding the people who did this, no matter how small of a chance - this is something I can do.”

He studied her closely. For as long as Gajeel had known her, Levy had never given up. Not when she fought to forgive him after he brutally attacked her. Not during the battle of Fairy Tail when she rewrote Freed’s spell and released him and Natsu to take on Laxus. Not when they battled Grimroire Heart on Tenrou. Not even during the battle of the dragons as she pushed all the townsfolk to safety. She had always been front and center, doing everything in her power to ensure victory, no matter the cost.

So, as he stared at her, petite yet fierce, he knew no matter what he said, she wasn’t going to let this one go. And part of him didn’t want to. Because the demons who had killed their guildmates were going to pay.

“Tartaros.”

Her brown eyes widened. “Wh-What?”

“It was Tartaros.” Gajeel had overhead Makarov that day in the guildhall, picked up easily with his sensitive hearing. Sleuthing was one of his strong suits. It’s why he was able to play a double-agent so well. However, Makarov’s caution regarding Tartaros was justified, and he wasn’t yet sure if he should question that decision. Makarov wasn’t exactly a man to doubt when it came to his motives. The other dragon slayers hadn’t been nearby, so Gajeel was sure he was the only one who knew.

Levy swallowed thickly, her surprise quickly snuffed out with new resolve. “I-I had a feeling they may have been involved. They’re the only dark guild left that could’ve done something like this. Just hadn’t found proof yet,” she murmured, her eyes sweeping over her research. “Not sure how the demons tie into them though.”

Gajeel smirked. Levy’s actions over the past couple of days and the books piled on the floor at their feet were evidence that she had figured it out. Of course she did. “Well, what did you find?”

They shared a look, one filled with unwavering conviction. The unknown of what laid ahead terrified them - the notion of going up against a dark guild known only as the Gates to the Underworld. But their pain and grief triumphed over everything. Their vengeance would remain strong and true until the bitter end, whenever that would come.

For now, Levy smiled and sat down on the floor again to share what she had learned. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.

After another unsettling night in the guildhall - quiet grieving masked by alcohol - Mirajane and Lisanna worked to clean up the aftermath. It had dawned on the elder Strauss sibling that they would run out of booze soon. They hadn’t yet recovered from their most recent celebration after Crocus, which had only been a week ago, but it felt as if a lifetime had passed since then.

Had it only been seven days? Seven days since the end of the Grand Magic Games, the dragon attack, and the parties that followed. Natsu had stolen the king’s crown, an embarrassing yet hilarious end to their time in the capital. He had jubilantly shouted for them to bow down to him, causing Erza to nearly punish him on the spot for mortifying Fairy Tail. Everyone had laughed, including the king and Hisui, the terrifying battle with mythical creatures now behind them. They had been victorious. And now-

A jarring crash stole Mirajane’s attention, the echoes of broken glass filling the empty guildhall. She quickly looked over to see that her younger sister had dropped a plate, causing it to shatter on the floor. “Oh, Lisanna! Are you all right? Here, let me help.”

She knelt down with a towel beside her, attempting to clean up the mess, but as they began picking up the broken pieces, Lisanna cut herself on a shard of glass. “Ouch,” she murmured while recoiling, wincing as a drop of blood appeared on her finger.

“You have to be careful,” Mirajane gently chastised, wrapping her towel around Lisanna’s injury.

Lisanna sighed, averting her gaze. She bit her lower lip until it was almost raw, the sisters remaining quiet as Mirajane put pressure on her finger to stop the blood flow. A few moments passed before Lisanna finally spoke up. “Is there something wrong with me?”

Mirajane was pulled from her thoughts and looked at the younger take-over mage. Ever since her youth, Lisanna had always had this upbeat and positive attitude. It was infectious and often kept Mirajane’s own worries at bay. But now, looking at the deep sadness that reflected in her eyes, Mirajane realized even the most positive people could have their world crushed.

She tilted her head and knitted her brows. “What do you mean?”

Lisanna wouldn’t meet her gaze. “I-I know Lucy is a good person. She’s beautiful, smart, and kind. But…” She paused, swallowing thickly, and curling her uninjured hand into a tight fist. “I-I’ve been jealous of her ever since I met her.”

Mirajane frowned. As far as she could tell, Lucy and Lisanna had been amicable since they met. She had seen no ire from either of them, and Lisanna had never confided in her with such feelings before. Yet, she had an inkling of where these emotions stemmed from.

“But,” Lisanna continued with guilt-ridden eyes. “She was also Natsu’s best friend. I know I shouldn’t be jealous. When I was away, Lucy came along and became a part of Natsu’s life. And part of me is happy about that, because when I was in Edolas, I had been so worried about him - about what would happen to him without me around. Yet..” She paused again, tears filling her eyes.

Shame was not an easy burden to carry. Mirajane rested a gentle hand on her sister’s shoulder. “What is it?”

Lisanna choked out a cry, hurrying to brush away the tears that fell down her cheeks. “I-I just can’t help feeling as if part of me holds Lucy responsible for Natsu and Happy’s deaths,” she confessed quietly, her sin finally out in the open. “She was there - right there - and didn’t save them! That somehow it’s all her fault that they’re gone.”

Realizing the cause of her sister’s affliction, Mirajane’s heart went out to her. “Oh, Lisanna,” she sighed.

“Is there s-something wrong with me?” she asked again, her words broken as whimpers escaped her lips.

Mirajane wrapped her hands around her sister’s, coaxing their gazes to meet. “Yes, but it’s the same thing that’s wrong with all of us. We’re looking for someone to blame - someone tangible right in front of us - because it’s easier than believing this had all been a terrible tragedy at the hands of demons we can’t find.”

Lisanna nodded her head, sniffling. “I just-” She paused, fruitlessly attempting to push away her tears. “I had so many things I wanted to tell him. I wanted to tell him how much I had missed him, and that I was proud of how strong he had become. Just so many unspoken thoughts and words, but I couldn’t say them to him. I couldn’t face him and admit to him that I was jealous, and how hurt I was when I came back and things weren’t the same. It’s because of that fear that I never got the chance to say the one that was important. I never had the chance-” *Hiccup* “To-To tell him I loved him.”

As she broke down crying, Mirajane pulled her to her chest, feeling her own eyes well up with tears. Long ago she had suspected the animal take-over mage had developed feelings for the dragon slayer. Their friendship ran deep and the two were rarely seen without the other. Even though Lisanna had her siblings, and Natsu had the rest of the rowdy bunch of young wizards, the two of them had always shared a special connection.

If she were being honest, Mirajane couldn’t remember Lisanna and Natsu actually sharing a moment alone after she returned from Edolas. The S-Class Trials began only weeks later, and they had all been swept up in the grandeur of friendly skirmishes. After their seven year stasis, they immediately began to train for the Grand Magic Games. Between being declared the victors and the battles with the dragons immediately following, it was amazing that Lisanna had adjusted as well as she did. They really hadn’t been granted the opportunity to immerse her back into their life. The sisters had shared conversations and talked late into the night on plenty of occasions, catching Lisanna up on what she had missed during her time away, but that didn’t account for the memories and emotional attachments she had missed.

Mirajane felt the weight of the world on her shoulders and the weight of Lisanna’s grief in her arms as she contemplated her sister’s predicament. “I know it’s difficult to keep going,” Mirajane soothed quietly, running a hand through her hair. “But just know that you have to.”

“How?” Lisanna cried out, her emotional vexation reminding Mirajane so much of her own when a certain red-head had come to her aid. “How can I, when I feel so bitter, as if I have no direction anymore?”

Mirajane smiled sadly. “I remember that feeling. You’re caught between all that was and all that must be. You feel lost.” She pulled away to look down at her sister, wiping away her tears. “But remember, things will weigh you down, but only if you let them. I get it. It’s hard to pretend that a boulder is a feather. It’s hard to pretend that something difficult is easy. So, just do what I’ve done for years. I just pretend that I’m strong, until I am.”

Lisanna sniffled, her sobs finally beginning to quiet.

The elder take-over mage sighed, memories turning back to when she thought Lisanna had died, and the guilt that nearly killed Elfman. “You may feel bitter toward Lucy, and angry over Natsu. But the truth is,” she said, gently resting her forehead against her sister’s. “Unless you let go, unless you forgive yourself for those feelings, unless you forgive the situation, unless you realize the situation is over - you can’t move forward.”

Levy knocked on a familiar door she had walked through many times before. She played with a strand of her hair, brown eyes drawn to the floor boards beneath her feet. It had become her daily ritual when taking a break from the library to walk to the apartment complex not far from the guild hall, her heart aching for a smiling, blonde, celestial wizard to welcome her in. But that moment had yet to come. Not the day after the funeral, or the week that followed. Lucy Heartfilia had become a ghost, locking herself within the same four walls and refusing to see anyone.

The solid-script mage exhaled deeply, feeling terribly helpless during this time of grieving. Her research hadn’t turned up anything worthwhile at the Fairy Tail library, so in between musing over other means of gathering information, she filled her days of attempting to bring some semblance of normalcy back to the guild. She read books in the hall and tried to greet everyone with a cheerful smile. The awkward responses she received indicated she was trying too hard, but she didn’t know what else to do. They needed someone to spur them into action, a speech of hope and faith to give them the final push toward defeating their current adversary.

However, Makarov had said nothing on the subject, instead locking himself within his office for days on end, allowing only Mirajane and Laxus to speak with him on occasion. Levy didn’t know what the master was planning, but she had a sneaking suspicion he was doing his own digging into Tartaros, perhaps pulling strings she herself did not possess.

“Lucy,” she called out desperately for her friend, knocking again in the hopes this time she would let her in. The deep blues of night had descended on Magnolia, snuffing out the last bit of sunlight, and causing Levy to feel that more anxious about Lucy’s well-being. “Please, I just want to talk, make sure you’re okay.” Her eyes filled with frustrated tears, hands curling into fists at her sides. “I’m worried sick, Lu. Open the door.”

The tiny script mage’s voice was stern - demanding - so different from her carefree nature only weeks before. She was tired of fighting against Lucy’s absurd way of shutting out the world. They were a family, dammit, and they needed each other. Couldn’t she see that?

She pushed her blue hair out of her face, setting one last despondent look at Lucy’s apartment door before turning to leave. Just as she began making her way out of the front door, Loke appeared in a glitter of golden light, startling her. His suit was clean-pressed as usual, but his expression twisted into one of concern.

“Levy,” he greeted languidly, slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks.

“How is she?” Levy asked, hands wrapping around themselves in worry. “Why-Why won’t she let me in?”

“She’s okay,” he soothed, dark circles under his eyes speaking of exhaustion. He readjusted his glasses. “Don’t worry. Her spirits are looking after her. Lucy suffered a terrible loss, and she’s taking it hard.” He sighed, looking over at her door as if he could see right through it. “From what Aquarius told me, when Lucy’s mother died, she tried to do the same thing. But she was young - easily distracted by her estate’s employees and the little attention her father gave her.”

Levy shook her head dismissively. “Then why won’t she let us help her now? Why won’t she come to the guild, or let us in?”

He shrugged. “She just lost her team, and one of her best friends - the person who gave her purpose in life again. Lucy spent years under her father’s thumb until she ran away to find happiness. Natsu gave that to her. He brought her to Fairy Tail. She’s going to need time to heal.”

That wasn’t the explanation Levy wanted to hear, but she could understand what Loke was saying. And seeing as how some of Lucy’s spirits had been with her for far longer than the guild had, she supposed they understood her grieving process better than she. Even so, Loke’s words did little to soothe her concern.

“If she becomes a real concern, I’ll make sure to come find you,” Loke said as a last attempt to pacify her apprehension. “I promise.”

Levy nodded, her gaze holding his. “I’m trusting you,” she murmured, before pushing past him and out the front door.

Loke stood for a moment, rubbing tired eyes, before slipping back into Lucy’s room. Virgo was in the process of running her a warm bath. Although Lucy always loved soaking in her tub, it had been hard to convince her to do so lately.

“Here you go, Princess,” he heard Virgo say from beyond the bathroom door, assisting their mage into the tub. Shortly after, Virgo stepped out into the room, exchanging a look of unease with him.

Lucy sank down into the water, the silver-gray stream curling and dancing through the air, filling the bathroom completely. After a while, a golden light shimmered in the air, and Aquarius appeared, arms crossed over her chest as she glared at Lucy’s indifferent expression.

“Lucy,” she tried, receiving not even a notion that she had been heard. She frowned, her usual bitter attitude and short-lipped responses falling to the wayside. Pathetic didn’t even begin to describe the blonde sitting before her. She sighed. “You can’t blame yourself,” she murmured, watching her carefully. “Not for this.”

The celestial mage turned her head away, eyes staring at moisture accumulating on the tile floor. “How can I not?” she asked quietly. “I survived and they didn’t.”

Aquarius had no real answer for that. Survivor’s guilt was not something that could be overcome easily. It was like the weight of the ocean’s walls were crushing a person, uncontrolled by levis. The mermaid spirit had been around long enough to have seen many of her former key holders experience such a thing. Being a wizard was not always a joyous job to yield.

“It’s okay that you survived,” she spoke softly, looking at Lucy with a pitied gaze. “I’m even happy about it.”

That made Lucy look up at her with a raised brow.

A deep blush settled on Aquarius’s cheeks. “Look, you may be a brat, but you’re Layla’s daughter. Of course I wouldn’t want anything really bad to happen to you.”

For the first time in a long time, Lucy’s lips tugged into a half-hearted smile. “Thanks, Aquarius.” Although their relationship had always been close to volatile, the mermaid spirit spoke her care discreetly.

Aquarius folded her arms over her chest, blue eyes continuing to study Lucy. Her grief this time had upended her life much like Layla’s death had, but this time, Lucy wasn’t an easily distractible child. The celestial mage understood very well what had happened to her friends, and had witnessed the trauma first hand. It wouldn’t be something that she would be able to overcome anytime soon.

“You should talk about it,” Aquarius urged gently.

Lucy’s reaction was instantaneous. She wrapped her arms tighter around her knees and hid her face between them. Aquarius could feel the anxiety coming off the girl in waves. “I-I can’t,” Lucy’s muffled, shaky voice came from the protection of her self-made sheath.

A deep exhale slipped from her lips. With a hand more gentle than ever before, Aquarius ran her fingers through Lucy’s golden tresses before coming to rest comfortably on top. “You’ll have to eventually. When you’re ready.”

Coruscating golden light filled the room and Lucy felt Aquarius’s hand disappear along with her presence. She was left alone in a lukewarm bath. Aquarius always hated bath time. The fact that she had decided to show up now soothed Lucy’s heart.

Moments later, Virgo assisted Lucy into her pajamas and then to the couch, where Virgo set about brushing Lucy’s hair. Silence filled the apartment, Virgo being careful not to pull at Lucy’s tresses. Loke stood by the window, looking down at the street below, stealing glances behind him at his mage.

Loke had lived for a very long time. He had seen the blackest moments grief and tragedy could offer. They could bury a person alive simply by the sheer weight of it all. The darkness would swallow people whole without mercy, even bringing about death. Yet, he had also seen the other side of that coin - the light that shined brightly despite the wickedness life would bring. He witnessed euphoria and triumph, the gleeful laughter of happiness too much to contain.

More than anything, Loke wanted to show Lucy that world - the brilliant sun and the skies. Happiness lived outside of these four walls she had cocooned herself within. It existed all around - in the ice creams that melted quickly; the sandy beaches and waves that tickled ankles; in the little white shells hidden under the sand, their insides still grainy with remnants of sand and iridescence. There was happiness in the fiery red and orange hues that filled the sky when the sun bid farewell; and happiness even in the pale calm of the night with the stars that shone above, reminders of all the things that were greater than the world.

There was so much more to this life than her grief, and he only wished he could help her see past this moment.

“All finished,” Virgo said quietly as she ran her fingers through Lucy’s tresses a final time.

“Thank you.” The mage’s mumbled gratitude was more conversation than the spirits had hoped she would have offered. She hadn’t been up for much talking.

Virgo exchanged a look with Loke before disappearing back to the celestial realm. Still, Lucy didn’t move. Her gaze fixated on a spot on the wall, her fingers fidgeting with the blanket on her lap, her mind obviously elsewhere.

“Are you okay?” Loke asked, quickly chastising himself for asking the question as Lucy scoffed. The blonde didn’t spare him a glance, but did pull her gaze to her lap. He closed the distance between them and stood in front of her so he could meet her eyes. His expression let her know he wasn’t going to leave until she answered him.

She wasn’t able to hold his stare long before she looked away. “I’m just tired, all right?” she finally said to pacify him. It seemed to be her answer every time he asked. And he asked a lot. Over and over and over again, day in and day out, as if waiting for her answer to change. He was sure he was beginning to annoy her, but to be frank, any emotion that Lucy exhibited other than overwhelming sadness was a win in his book.

“Get up.” It was more of a demand than a request, which only seemed to anger Lucy further.

She frowned and ignored him, not even entertaining him with a response. If she had her way, he was sure she would fall asleep on the couch just to spite him.

Loke sighed and knelt down so he was eye-level with her. “Please, Lucy. Do it for me.”

His pleading gaze nearly broke her conviction. He could see it. They had been through so much in such a short time together, he knew she would have a hard time denying his request. Was he playing dirty by waving their trust in her face? Probably. But he was desperate.

The lion spirit reached out a hand and covered hers. “If you do, I promise I’ll give you some space.”

Well, that compromise seemed to peak her interest. “Why?” she asked warily.

He chuckled, picking up on her guarded expression. “We aren’t going far. You’ll like it. Trust me.”

And he knew that was something Lucy could never deny. The trust between them was iron-clad and something she would never dispute. “Fine,” she ultimately conceded with a deep sigh. “Where to?”

“Follow me.”

The Leader of the Zodiac took her hand in his, guiding her carefully to her apartment door. She hesitated as he attempted to direct her into the hallway, panicking about venturing back into the world that still turned without half of Team Natsu. But Loke encouraged her with a gentle tug.

Lucy took a deep breath and followed him up the stairs to the third floor, and then up further still until they happened upon the hatch to the roof. Loke opened it before reaching behind him and helping Lucy out. “What are we doing out here?” she asked once she was standing beside him.

He stayed silent, pulled her with him toward the front end, and sat down near the edge where the shingles began slanting downward. He patted the ground beside him invitingly and she cautiously joined him. Once she settled in he pointed out toward the Magnolia, past the river the boatmen always drifted down.

“Look, Lucy.”

She followed his finger to where the sky met the horizon far beyond the town. The outline of the Fairy Tail guild, shrouded in darkness, could be seen, and just beyond that sat Lake Sciliora. A shimmering of stars lit up the night sky, becoming more visible as the midnight hour approached. The city quietly began to fall asleep as lights faded from windows and people emptied the streets.

Folding her knees and wrapping her arms around them, Lucy wistfully gazed at the heavens. “I wish I was a star,” she said aloud.

Loke reached over and tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “But don’t you see,” he murmured, her eyes pulling to his. “You’re already a galaxy. You have universes trapped beneath your skin and stardust shining in your eyes. You are so much more than a star.”

Tears welled in her eyes. “What-What if I don’t want to be more than a star?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

“Oh, Lucy,” Loke soothed, brushing away a tear that slid down her cheek.

“Loke,” she cried out, no longer able to hold back her sobs. “I-I don’t want to feel like this anymore.”

He frowned as she began to cry, her shoulders shaking. “This isn’t the end,” he tried, wanting her to understand that she wouldn’t always feel this way.

“But what if I-I want it to be?”

Her words tore through Loke; the very thought of Lucy feeling so broken as to even consider the idea of no longer existing made his stomach drop. Had she truly fallen so far? Had the beautiful, shining blonde who always smiled become so grief-stricken as to even consider taking her life? The very idea nearly made him snap.

Loke reached out and pulled Lucy into his arms, wrapping her tightly in his embrace as if he could hold her together. She wept into his chest, folding herself within him and hiding from the world. “It’s going to be okay,” he murmured, his repetition glaring, but he wasn’t sure what the right words were to say.

“I-I wish I didn’t need y-you to tell me-e that,” she sputtered through her tears.

He pulled away then, needing to look at her, needing her to understand how serious he was being. Her confession terrified him. “You have me,” he promised sharply, wiping away her tears as quickly as they fell, holding her head between his hands. Her lips wobbled and her eyes were glassy. She reached up and held his hands, leaning into his touch. “You have me,” he repeated in a gentler tone. “Until every last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.”

Loke pulled her back into his arms and closed his eyes, listening to the sound of her ragged breathing. He knew no matter what he said to her, nothing would lessen the impact of her pain. He could only sit there and hold her, offer her whatever she required of him, anything to help her smile again. Because ever since that day, the heavenly bodies didn’t shine as brightly.

Lucy’s cries soon lessened to whimpers, her tears drying up, and she finally settled down to shaky sighs. After a long moment, he pulled away and allowed space between them. He didn’t say anything, allowing her this moment of quiet.

The blonde tucked her hair behind her ears, smoothing it out as if to make herself more presentable. He didn’t know why. She had always been beautiful to him. He reached out and ran his thumb across her jaw, his eyes searching hers. “I’m here with you.”

She nodded silently, her eyes leaving him and searching the horizon again. Darkness had fully descended over Magnolia, and the sky was alight with the stars she loved so much.

Loke followed her gaze and then pointed into the sky. “Which constellation is that?”

Lucy easily found which stars he pointed to. “Saggitarius,” she murmured.

“And that one?” he asked, indicating another point in the sky.

She allowed a small smile. “Capricorn.”

He took her hand. “Every time you start to feel down, every time you begin to think of the end, I want you to look to the stars,” he said. “Name the constellations. Know that this world is so great and beautiful - and would be less-so if you were gone.”

Brown eyes met his, and for the first time since everything went to hell, Loke saw life flicker behind her gaze. Lucy was still there - no longer drowning, but still swimming, trying to get to shore.

#fairy tail #lucy heartfilia #gray fullbuster #graylu #levy mcgarden #gajeel redfox #gajevy #mirajane strauss #lisanna strauss #loke #virgo #aquarius #fanfiction #fairy tail fanfiction #my fanfiction #the last of us #sassy stays classy #fanart #fairy tail fanart

46 notes · View notes